Russian Tourists Interest In Thailand Travel Increased

More Russians are interested in traveling to Thailand. Following Russia’s announcement earlier this week that it will begin lifting restrictions on flights to 52 countries starting April 9, some Russian tourism employees assert that there has been a spike of Russians searching for Thailand.

According to OneTwoTrip, a known vacation booking website in Russia searches for tickets to Thailand have increased by 20%. The company added that Russian searches in all countries increased by up to 350%.  Founder of OneTwoTrip Elena Shelehova, informed Russian state news about the surge in travel interest after the Russian government announced the lifting of restrictions on April 4.

However, flights to and from Thailand remain suspended. Russian airlines are under severe financial strain as a result of Western sanctions. Due to rerouting and fluctuating oil costs, international operators operate on a limited number of connected flights.

Many Russians who had already traveled to Thailand were left stranded last month. Over 7,000 Russian and Ukrainian visitors visited Thailand, with over 3,000 Russians trapped in Phuket alone. Following the Visa and Mastercard’s decision to suspend cards issued in Russia, many Russians were unable to use them to purchase flight tickets.

Russians are Phuket’s biggest group of tourists in December and a significant part of Thailand’s tourism even before the pandemic.

Source: Phuket News

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