Known for its tropical beaches, lush rice fields, and volcanic mountains, Bali is a well-known tourist destination that attracts travelers from all over the world. But this Indian Ocean island began to see an increase in a specific category of visitors last year: some 58,000 Russians visited Bali in 2022. And in January 2023 alone, the number of tourists from Russia reached 22,500, according to Indonesian government data, making Russians the second largest contingent of foreign travelers behind Australians.

On the other side of the world, another story is being written. "Paris saw a 95.8% drop in the number of Russian tourists arriving by air between January and May 2023 [compared to 2019]," said a spokesman for the Paris tourist office. And during the summer months, the increase in Russian arrivals to the French capital – one of the most visited cities in Europe – is expected to be less than 1%.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has become much more difficult for Russians to travel to the European Union. Obtaining travel visas is more expensive and complex, Russian airlines are banned from flying to and from the EU, and Russian oligarchs can no longer land their private jets wherever they want.

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Added to these restrictions is the prospect of a hostile reception for Russian tourists. Just over a year after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is now widely perceived in EU countries as "an adversary," according to a January poll in several European countries.

However, millions of Russians continue to travel. In 2022, some 22.5 million trips abroad were made by Russian tourists, up from 19.2 million in 2021.

While Turkey is their main destination, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Maldives and Egypt are also among the countries that have seen the largest boom in Russian visitors.

Tourism cooperation agreements in shambles

Russia ranked 2021th in international tourism in 14 with spending of about $11.4 billion, according to Statista.

And if Europe is ready to deprive itself of Russian tourists, the countries of the rest of the world intend to take their share of the market. Sri Lanka, Morocco and Thailand are planning to open direct air links with Russia to facilitate travel, while India, Burma and Oman have recently held talks with Moscow with the aim of increasing the number of tourists from Russia.

Similarly, Iran signed an agreement with Russia on May 19 to boost tourism cooperation between the two countries, just days after Cuba signed a similar agreement to reach 500,000 Russian visitors a year.

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For some countries, boosting Russian tourism is a way to balance economic ties with Russia. Turkey is one of the largest consumers of Russian energy in the world and its tourism industry depends heavily on Russian holidaymakers. However, it has not been affected by the war in Ukraine. "Turkey has not imposed sanctions on Russia, so it has become the number one destination for Russian tourists," said Faruk Balli, a professor at the School of Economics and Finance at Massey University in New Zealand.

Conversely, in Cyprus and Greece, the lack of Russian tourists – who until now accounted for a large proportion of visitors – has hurt the economy and prompted a rethinking of tourism models.

96.1% drop in the number of foreign tourists to Russia

The situation is not at all the same in Paris. "Russian visitors generally represent 1% of all tourists," said a spokesman for the Paris tourist office.

On the other hand, Russia suffers significant economic losses related to tourism. The number of foreign visitors going there fell by 96.1% in 2022 compared to pre-Covid pandemic figures in 2019, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, European and American tourists, in particular, have shunned Russia: Western sanctions have complicated travel there due to flight restrictions and the inability to use Visa and Mastercard cards issued by foreign banks in the country.

The Russian government is therefore trying to encourage domestic tourism to revitalize the sector, while intensifying its efforts to attract other international visitors. Plans are being developed to coordinate the Russian Mir payment system with the Indian equivalent RuPay and to remove the need for a Russian visa for visitors from certain Arab countries and Latin America.

The return of Chinese tour groups in February 2023, after the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions, is also highlighted to show that Russia remains a thriving tourist destination. Russian state media reported that the number of Chinese visitors to Russia could return to pre-pandemic levels within the next three years.

Adapted from the English by Romain Brunet. The original version can be read here.

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