How Will Russia-Africa Summit Affect Tourism?

The mutual cancellation of visas and the launch of direct flights with many African countries, discussed at the Russia-Africa Summit, will give an impetus to the development of tourism to the continent, according to the Russian Union of Travel Industry.

"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.

According to Dmitry Arutyunov, general director of the ART-TOUR operator, the demand for trips to the region is still quite high, albeit with limited transportation.

"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.

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The expert recalled that air connections with African countries are now more convenient than with European ones.

"Tourists have to fly to Paris with transfers for more than a day, and many African countries can be reached much faster, for example, with transfers in the Middle East. In addition, after the pandemic, when tourists began to avoid trips to crowded cities, interest in traveling to nature has grown significantly. Africa is currently experiencing a boom in international demand," he said.

Arutyunov noted that in recent years, African countries have realized the importance of tourism, so more and more roads and high-level hotels are being built there, including international network operators.

"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.

The expert considers Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa to be the most promising countries for tourism.

The organization of direct flights to South Africa was also discussed at the Russia-Africa forum.