How Will Russia-Africa Summit Affect Tourism?

"Africa is a popular destination, and expanding the geography of flights would allow tour operators to increase the range of outbound tourism offers. We are considering such options as flights to Tanzania to the island of Zanzibar and, of course, expanding flights to Tunisia and other countries. Now both Russian and foreign airlines have permits for flights," said Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russia’s tourism organization.

"We have almost doubled this direction every year. Many are attracted by its natural potential, national parks and nature reserves, where you can see huge clusters of animals in the wild. Almost 80% of our tourists choose combined safari tours plus rest, excursions. The percentage of returning tourists is very high, especially in Tanzania, where we are waiting for the launch of direct flights," he told Russian media.

"We have direct flights to Algeria, aviation communication with Ethiopia is actively developing. The national airline Ethiopian Airlines is one of the largest in the world, equipped with the most modern fleet. At the same time, she has one of the best, as experts say, 'flights' across the continent. It is convenient to fly from Addis Ababa to neighboring countries. Our tourists actively use these flights. Ethiopia has a great future in the Russian market," he added.