Outbound tourism by Russians surges in summer

Outbound tourism by Russians this summer has grown by an average of 20% compared to the same period last year, President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Ilya Umansky said.

"We’re seeing solid growth in outbound tourism. On average, it has grown by about 20% in comparison with last year's figures. Of course, summer is not over, and the autumn season is still ahead, so we will continue to monitor and then put out the final figures," Ilya Umansky said.

According to the head of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, a new destination has become the most popular with Russian tourists.

• Abkhazia has overtaken Turkey in the ranking of popular foreign destinations and now ranks first.
• Egypt is next in the ranking. Despite the country's hot summer weather, its popularity as a destination has grown by more than 40% year-on-year.
• The UAE is also among the top popular destinations.
• Also, trips to the Maldives, Tunisia, Malaysia, and Venezuela have seen a rise in interest.