Russian foreign tourism fell by nearly a third in 2015

The number of tourists leaving Russia to go on foreign holidays fell by 31.3 per cent in 2015, new data shows.

12 million international trips were made by Russian tourists last year, Russian Tourism Industry Union spokeswoman Irina Tyurina revealed to Interfax, citing Rosstat state statistics. This is a marked decline on 2014 when over 17 million trips were made, and the sharpest drop in foreign travel since 1998.

The precipitous decline in international holidays is a result of the devaluation of the rouble and the ban on flights to Turkey and Egypt, both popular destinations for Russian travellers.

Russian tour companies have suffered as a result, with many scaling down their business or switching their focus to domestic tourism.

Source: The Moscow Times