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Biometric data collection will begin upon entry to Russia on December 1st

According to agency reports, the pilot project envisions collecting biometric data from foreigners entering Russia at border crossings. In the first phase, this practice will be implemented at Moscow's Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports. The second phase will be implemented at all entry points from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Foreigners wishing to enter Russia without a visa will need to submit their biometric data in advance through a special application and make an application specifying the purpose of their visit. Those entering with a visa will continue to follow the existing procedures. These regulations will not apply to Belarusian citizens, children under six years of age, diplomats, employees of international organizations accredited in Russia, and their family members. Additionally, this new practice will not affect Russian citizens. If the pilot project is successful, this biometric data collection system will become permanent.

Schengen visa applications have surged in Russia: 'No visas before 2 months'

According to a report by the Kommersant newspaper, based on data from Continent Express, demand for Schengen visas in the first eight months of 2024 has increased by 51% compared to last year. However, staffing shortages at the consulates of European countries have led to longer processing times for visa applications. The report highlights that visa procedures in countries like Italy and France have significantly slowed down. In Italy, visa application processing can take up to 60 days, while in France, visa appointments are only available for November. Additionally, consulates are frequently requesting additional documents. For Spain, there are no available slots for visa appointments. On the other hand, the newspaper notes that while visa demand has also increased in countries like China and India, these countries are able to process visas quickly. Indian visas are generally issued within 1-3 business days, and Chinese visas within 3-4 business days. The newspaper also mentions that the number of tourist trips abroad from Russia reached 7.63 million in the first half of 2024, an increase compared to the same period last year.

Where does Turkey rank in Russians' shopping preferences?

"However, among the most ideal countries for shopping tourism, Spain ranks first with 21.6%, Italy comes second with 17.8%, and Singapore is third with 15.9%. The main reasons for traveling abroad for shopping include attractive prices (47.4%) and purchasing brands that are not available in Russia (33.3%). 80% of travelers prefer to buy accessories and jewelry, while 72.2% choose to buy clothing. Technological products are another popular shopping item, with 30.6% preferring them. Most travelers spend more than 50,000 rubles on their shopping abroad and sometimes have to buy extra suitcases to carry the products they purchase. According to the survey results, 57.1% of participants have encountered this situation at least once. Recently, there has also been an increase in demand for cruise tours and five-star hotel stays among Russian tourists."

Turks rank fourth in electronic visas to Russia

China was the country that received the most electronic visas, with 254,200 applications. It was followed by Saudi Arabia with 43,400 applications and Germany with 42,600 applications. Turkey and Estonia also ranked among the top five. The top ten countries in electronic visa applications included India, Latvia, Iran, Kuwait, and Lithuania. According to Artur Muradyan, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, most of these visas are obtained for short-term tourist or business trips. Russia began its electronic visa program on August 1, 2023. Citizens of 55 countries can obtain this visa for tourist, business, humanitarian, and visitor purposes, as well as for participating in social, economic, and sports events. The visa is single-entry, valid for 60 days from the date of issuance, and allows a stay in Russia for up to 16 days. The application fee is $52.

The tourism season has begun, and flight frequencies are increasing: 120 flights per week

With the opening of the tourism season, airlines have started to finalize their flight schedules. Accordingly, it has been announced that there will be 120 flights per week from Russia, a country where Turkey is often preferred for holidays. It was announced that flights departing from St. Petersburg, Russia, will operate to four regions in Turkey: Istanbul, Antalya, Dalaman, and Bodrum. These 120 weekly flights, to be operated by 6 airlines, will include 35 flights to Istanbul, 77 to Antalya, 5 to Dalaman, and 3 to Bodrum. As part of the 2024 summer schedule, there is a target to increase the number of flights to Istanbul by 12%, to Antalya by 57%, to Dalaman by 43%, and to Bodrum by 15% compared to the previous season. Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Corendon Airlines, Southwind Airlines, Aeroflot, and Rossiya will operate these flights departing from Pulkovo Airport.

New record in Antalya tourism

Antalya, known as the tourism capital of Turkey, set a new record by welcoming nearly 4 million domestic and international visitors in the first five months of the year. This year, the tourism city had a strong start to the season, achieving a new record with close to 4 million visitors in the first five months. The number of visitors Antalya hosted in the first five months of the year increased by 16.26% compared to the same period last year. Antalya refreshed its record for the best start in tourism ever, hosting a total of 3,959,267 visitors in the first five months. Germany again leads as the top sender of tourists to Antalya. In the ranking of countries sending the most tourists to Antalya during the first five months of the year, Germany retained its top position. The most visitors came from Germany with 974,272, followed by the Russian Federation with 857,862 visitors, and the United Kingdom with 451,341 visitors. Following the UK were Poland, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belgium, and France. Compared to the same period last year, there was a notable increase in visitors from key market countries: 18% from Germany, 9% from Russia, 28% from the UK, 35% from Poland, 16% from the Netherlands, 12% from Kazakhstan, 59% from Ukraine, 12% from Belgium, and 39% from France. In May, Russia surpassed Germany in visitor numbers to Antalya, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists due to its sea, sand, sun, historical and natural beauties, cultural structures, and ancient cities. Antalya broke another visitor record in May, with the number of visitors reaching 1,892,302, an increase of 18.72% compared to the same month last year. In the ranking of countries sending the most tourists to Antalya in May, the Russian Federation took the top spot. This May, Russia surpassed Germany by sending 491,078 visitors to Antalya. Germany was the second largest source of visitors with 434,609, followed by the United Kingdom with 185,221 visitors. Poland, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania, and Belarus (White Russia) followed the UK in the list of countries sending the most visitors to Antalya in May. Compared to the same period last year, visitor numbers from key market countries in May saw significant increases: Russia by 26%, Germany by 14%, the UK by 23%, both Poland and the Netherlands by 38%, Kazakhstan by 11%, Ukraine by 66%, Romania by 45%, and Belarus by 36%.

New decision regarding airports in Russia

The Russian Ministry of Transport has prepared a new draft law to increase security at airports. The draft legislation proposes allowing security forces to enter airports with firearms, and it also envisions Rosgvardia being responsible for airport security. The draft also imposes a ban on individuals without boarding passes or airline tickets from using the transportation infrastructure of airports. Experts speaking to the newspaper said it is yet unclear how this rule will affect passengers' comfort. There is uncertainty regarding whether vehicles and relatives coming to bid farewell to passengers will be allowed into the airport. According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, similar examples exist outside Russia. For instance, in New Delhi and Tashkent, individuals without airline tickets are prohibited from entering airports. If the draft becomes law, the new regulation will come into effect on September 1, 2024.

The first good news for tourism came from Russia

In the statement made by ATOR, it was mentioned that "early bookings for Turkey tours for the summer of 2024 are performing better this year compared to the previous year. According to recent data, tour operators have sold an average of 60% more summer tours to Turkey compared to the beginning of February 2023." Early initiation of promotions was effective While tour operators indicate a significant increase in early booking volumes in Turkey this year, it is primarily attributed to the expansion of departure geographies and the earlier initiation of promotions. According to ATOR's announcement, prices in rubles for the summer months in Turkey have generally increased compared to last year, but this increase is less than the increase in Euro. It is also noted that many Turkish hotel operators have reduced prices in Euros for Russian operators this year. Furthermore, it is expected that all operators will have finalized their flight programs to Turkey by the end of March.

Uzbekistan expects to welcome 1.4 million tourists from Russia

According to the decree presented to RIA Novosti by the country's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the tourist flow from Russia to Uzbekistan in 2024 may double, reaching 1.46 million people. Official statistics show that the number of Russian citizens visiting Uzbekistan for tourism purposes in 2023 increased by 25.8% compared to the previous year, reaching 714.2 thousand people. The decree approves forecast indicators aimed at attracting foreign tourists up to 9.96 million people in 2024 (1.5 times compared to 2023). In particular, an influx of 1.46 million tourists from Russia is planned for this year, effectively doubling the number of visitors from our country. According to the document, a program of measures to attract tourists from the Russian Federation to the republic has also been approved. This includes the implementation of the "Uzbekistan Tourism Year in Russia" program, the conduct of "Travel to Uzbekistan" promotional campaigns in major Russian cities, and the implementation of a transportation discount system for tour operators. Previously, the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan estimated that the growth in tourist arrivals from the Russian Federation would reach approximately 800 thousand in 2023 and one million by 2025. According to the Ministry, Russia is a strategic tourism partner for the republic, with the influx of Russian tourists traditionally being 1.5-2 times higher than guests from non-CIS countries. At the same time, Russian tourists rank fourth in terms of visits to the republic, following neighboring countries - Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

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