For Russians, vacations aren't what they used to be. But they still have options

There was a clip erstwhile Western Europe was the destination of prime for Russian tourists.

But things person changed.

Max, a Russian successful his 40s, utilized to stroll museums successful France, bask good cuisine successful Italy, and spell connected hikes connected the hills of Spain.

Then Russia invaded Ukraine. This year, Max, who told CNBC that he's not comfy sharing his past name, "did not adjacent consider" Europe arsenic a abrogation destination. 

"I americium alert of the problems with obtaining visas to European countries," helium said.

Last week, the European Union agreed to suspend a 2007 question statement with Moscow which facilitated the issuance of visas to Russians. The determination volition marque it much hard and costly for Russians to question to the bloc.

The closure of EU airspace to Russian airlines successful February besides made traveling difficult.

"The atrocious irony is that I americium perfectly against the warfare and Putin, but I besides acquisition question difficulties," Max said.

"In the future, erstwhile Putin leaves and we go a mean state again, I anticipation that I volition beryllium capable to sojourn Europe again. I emotion Italy precise much."

Max is 1 of galore Russians who traded European vacation destinations for different countries this summer.

EU countries similar Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Greece were among the apical 20 destinations astir booked by Russian travelers earlier the war's outbreak, according to information from ForwardKeys, a question information company.

However, Olivier Ponti of ForwardKeys said Russian aerial question to Europe implicit the summertime was conscionable 26% of what it was successful 2019.

"Russia's penetration of Ukraine has surely restricted the vacation choices of its citizens, arsenic nonstop flights to galore fashionable destinations person been banned," helium said. "It is inactive imaginable for Russians to sojourn Europe, but they present request to alteration planes successful places similar Istanbul oregon Dubai."

According to ForwardKeys, which examined formation accomplishment data, respective leisure destinations saw an summation successful Russian visitors successful June, July and August twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth from 2019.

1. Maldives (5% jump)
2. Seychelles (4%)
3. Turkey (4%)
4. United Arab Emirates (2%)

Most of those countries were fashionable with Russian visitors earlier the warfare too. According to the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), Turkey was the apical destination for Russian tourists successful 2019, followed by the Russia-occupied territory of Abkhazia, the UAE and Maldives. 

Analysts from the EIU told CNBC that the Maldives has agelong been a preferred destination for affluent Russians who tin easy get tourer visas connected accomplishment to enactment up to 90 days.

A much favorable speech complaint successful Turkey since mid-March apt boosted question numbers there, EIU analysts Mario Bikarski and Federica Reccia told CNBC. The Turkish lira presently stands astatine 18.23 against the dollar— adjacent grounds lows aft Turkey's cardinal slope slashed its benchmark rates in August contempt ostentation being adjacent 80%.

Still, Russians' quality to question whitethorn beryllium further curtailed, they said. In summation to the EU's suspension of its 2007 preferential visa statement with Moscow, Bikarski and Reccia said, economical problems could discourage Russians from traveling.

"As the warfare grinds on, we besides expect the deteriorating economical outlook to measurement connected Russians' propensity to travel."