Russian tour operators report peak sales for New Year travel; the UAE, Thailand, and Russia top the list.
As of mid-November, sales for New Year travel packages offered by tour operators have reached record highs, according to a statement from the FUN&SUN tour operator press service.
“In recent days, we have observed a sharp surge in demand for New Year holiday getaways. The majority of travelers are choosing the UAE (comprising up to 38% of bookings), Thailand (21%), Russia (13%), Egypt (8%), Sri Lanka (7%), and Turkey (5%). Additionally, Armenia and Azerbaijan are fairly popular choices. Among less common but equally interesting destinations for holiday travel, our tourists are opting for Hungary, Malaysia, Oman, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Mexico,” shared Olga Ivanova, Head of the company’s press service.
Demand for New Year travel within Russia has also significantly increased this week, as reported by the tour operator.
“The most popular destinations for the holidays are Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana, accounting for a combined 60% of bookings, the Sheregesh resort in the Kuzbass region (11%), Veliky Ustyug (6%), Moscow (4%), and Kazan (3%),” Ivanova added.
She noted that last year, the peak of New Year tour sales shifted to mid-December, with significantly lower interest in November.
In 2024, the New Year holidays will last for 10 days, from December 30, 2023, to January 8, 2024. The first working day of the new year will be January 9. Winter break for school students also falls on the first week of January. Notably, the weekends on January 6 and 7, which fall within the December 30 to January 9 period, are moved to Friday, May 10, and Tuesday, December 31, respectively.
