Tourism authority names top African destinations for Russians

The most popular countries for Russian travelers are Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa

The Association of Russian tour operators (ATOR) reported on Tuesday that sub-Saharan African countries are now in high demand among Russian travelers. 

According to ATOR, the most popular destinations are Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa – all of which offer combinations of sightseeing and beach vacations, and are pulling in the visitors with their large nature reserves.

With Western countries becoming inaccessible to many Russians due to visa restrictions and a lack of flights, trips to some parts of Africa have a growing appeal. According to the Russian tour operator OneTwoTrip, Tanzania’s popularity has risen by a third since 2022, and South Africa by a quarter.

Russian citizens can travel to South Africa visa-free, while in Tanzania, Russians can receive a visa on arrival, and in Kenya until January 2024 tourists can enter with an electronic visa at a cost of $50 – which will then be replaced by an electronic entry permit (ETA) costing $30.

Back in August, OneTwoTrip told RT: “In total, African countries account for 3.3% of all overseas aviation orders. Compared to the same period last year, the popularity of the continent increased by 37.5% .” 

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Tourism holding PAC Group has said Russian tourists’ preferences when vacationing in Africa have not changed. 

“The main wishes are the same as before the pandemic. These are national parks, animals, safaris, nature,” the company stated. 

Russian operators are currently also offering safaris and combined tours to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Uganda and Botswana.

ATOR noted that Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco were not included in the review because they are situated in North Africa, which it classes as part of MENA (Middle East North Africa). In their terminology, 'Africa’ means countries situated south of the Sahara.

As for North Africa, RIA Novosti news agency reported in August that Egypt was receiving up to 1.5 million Russian tourists annually, with Tunisia in second place.