Based on the data provided by the border service of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia, during the first half of 2021, from January until June, 806,212 persons travelled from Russia to Turkey for tourism purposes, indicating that Turkey was the most preferred destination, especially to spend the summer holidays.
As such, according to these figures, the number of those who travelled to Turkey increased significantly, marking a rise of 135% compared to the same period last year. Still, the numbers are far from the pre-pandemic levels that were registered during 2019.
Following Turkey, the second destination that was popular amongst Russians this year was Cyprus. Around 172,671 Russians took a trip to Cyprus from January to June, which is way lower than the number of those who travelled to Turkey.
However, compared to 2020, the number of those who travelled to Cyprus this year indicates a positive development in the travel and tourism sector.
Since other destinations such as Mexico, Maldives, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates decided to open their borders for Russian tourists, they also became popular destinations, especially for those who wanted to spend their summer holidays outside Russia.
