Russian experts consider Belarus promising destination for excursion tourism

Belarus is one of the most promising destinations for Russian outbound excursion tourism, according to the information posted on the website of the Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), uniting the largest tour operator companies from various Russian regions

The relevant conclusions were drawn based on the results of a survey conducted among representatives of the largest Russian tour operators.

“As far as the segment of excursion tours is concerned, Turkiye is followed by the countries of the near abroad (or, as it is more correct to call them, the post-Soviet space): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Uzbekistan,” ATOR reported. “The range of large tour operators includes up to 80 different programmes across these areas. For excursion tours to post-Soviet countries, it’s necessary to pay approximately 40-50 thousand Russian Roubles for 4-5 nights for the land part, in addition to travel costs.”

Representatives of tour operators note that the demand for post-Soviet countries is clearly seasonal: most active in spring and autumn.

According to ATOR, the Russian demand for excursion tours abroad is growing not quickly, but confidently after the pandemic and the events of 2022, when excursion Europe – a huge segment of the market – disappeared. In particular, due to the entry into the market of new products that appear thanks to the expansion of flight programmes abroad.

“Excursion tours have their own audience, which turns to this product over and over again,” ATOR quotes the words of a representative of the Space Travel company. “Previously, such tourists preferred to travel to Europe, but now they are using the opportunity to discover new offers and destinations.”

As far as the far abroad countries are concerned, Russian tour operators, alongside Turkiye, see prospects for growth in the number of excursion tours to Europe (which has turned from the main excursion destination into almost a niche destination, with demand now mainly focused on Italy), Egypt, India and Morocco (suitable for excursion tours mainly in winter), Japan, South Korea (these countries have become more accessible due to the expansion of flight programmes), as well as to ‘exotic’ South East Asia, China, Cuba, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.