Russians are not the biggest holiday planners, says Mikhail Ilyin, a priest and tour business owner in Pattaya, Thailand. Where most Europeans might book a holiday one or two years in advance, Russian tourists tend to be more spontaneous.
It’s a generalisation of course, but trends like these feed into national and international travel forecasts. The Russian Federation was in the top 10 countries whose citizens spent the most abroad before the pandemic, according to Statista. Their favourite destinations – including Turkey, Thailand, and Cyprus – were no doubt looking forward to an influx of visitors come summer.
As with so many other aspects of life, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put paid to those hopes. Given Russians’ late booking habits, it’ll be a little while before the impact is felt in places like Pattaya, which has been called ‘the most Russian city in southeast…
