The absence of Russian tourists is dashing hopes of an early recovery of tourism in some countries.
According to a report by Euromonitor International, global tourism will lose about 7 billion USD without Russian tourists. A shadow is covering the tourism industry in some countries due to tensions in Ukraine when economic sanctions, airspace closures and flight bans come into effect.
"The loss of rich Russian tourists will cause serious damage to a few countries in Europe, the Caribbean, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam ...", experts said. If there are visitors, their spending can be reduced by 50% compared to 2021.
The Dominican Republic is one of the countries that are heavily affected when the number of Russian and Ukrainian visitors decreases. In January and February, the resorts of the Caribbean island nation welcome about 50,000 Russian tourists and about 9,000 Ukrainian tourists. As such, it is estimated that the country currently loses nearly 60,000 international visitors per month. The Dominican Republic's Tourism Minister, David Collado, said they must now redirect marketing to the Canadian market.
Tourists walk on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. Photo: Reuters
About 18,000 Russian tourists came to Thailand in February, the largest number of international visitors coming here in the context that the country has not really opened up. Yuthasak Supasorn, Director General of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said that about 6,500 Russian tourists were stranded in Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Pattaya in early March, along with 1,000 Ukrainians. After the tension in Ukraine began, the Russians returned home and there is no sign of returning.
Bhummikitti Raktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourism Association, said that the number of Russian tourists to Phuket airport has dropped by about 80% since the beginning of March. The Southeast Asian tourism regulator expects Russians to make up the majority of the population. a large proportion after the epidemic, mainly due to the absence of Chinese tourists - the largest market share in terms of foreign visitors to Southeast Asia. Vietnam and Thailand are expected to welcome around 1.8 million Russian tourists this year. But now this goal seems unlikely and could hamper efforts to revive tourism in the region.
In Vietnam, before the pandemic, the Russians liked to go to Phan Thiet and Nha Trang, affectionately calling them "Little Moscow". Menus of restaurants also serve Russian. When Vietnam opened up to tourism, many companies expected Russians to make up a larger proportion than usual. However, the Ukraine tension has reached its sixth week, which may reduce expectations about the recovery of the tourism industry in Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asian countries in general, which have just opened.
Nguyen Khac Giang, a doctoral student at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, said that the tension in Ukraine has "hit hard" on places like Khanh Hoa or Phu Quoc, which are popular destinations for tourists. According to a survey by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in 2019, Russian guests spent an average of $1,600 per stay, while other foreign guests only spent $900.
A group of Russian tourists take souvenir photos with the Kim statue of the Buddha's body at Long Son Pagoda, Nha Trang City in February 2022. Photo: NVCC
The beaches of Turkey and Cuba annually attract millions of Russian tourists but are now empty. The Russian Association of Tour Operators said there were between 6,000 and 8,000 Russian tourists in Cuba when tensions began. Many of these tourists had to cut their vacation short and return home on special flights.
The European tourism market is indirectly affected when "long-term" visitors from the US are afraid to travel to Europe at this time. They need a strong media campaign from the European side to reassure tourists that the continent is now safe and open to tourists.
The spending outlook of the world tourism industry is to grow 92% by 2022. However, this level has only reached 45% compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Due to the impact of tensions in Ukraine, the tourism industry is estimated to suffer and slow down due to many factors. This leaves the tourism industry's chance to recover until 2026. Everything is looking forward to a peaceful resolution.
