Antalya has become increasingly expensive for Russian tourists, with holiday costs now reaching levels comparable to those of the Maldives, according to Ali Mikailov, General Manager of GlobalDMC.
Speaking at the “Russia and CIS Markets” panel held during the Istanbul Tourism Fair, Mikailov discussed changing travel behaviour among Russian tourists and rising holiday prices in Türkiye.
Transit passengers are now staying in Istanbul for 1–2 days
Mikailov said Russian travellers’ behaviour had changed significantly in recent years. “Previously, Russians used Istanbul Airport as a transit point and spent three to four hours at the airport. Now these transit passengers are staying in Istanbul for one or two days,” he said.
According to Mikailov, tour companies have started offering services specifically for these transit passengers.
He said suitable sightseeing programmes were being prepared for them, while the number of direct flights from Russia had decreased and flight delays had increased.
“The proportion of tourists travelling to other countries via Istanbul who stay in Istanbul has tripled over the past three years,” Mikailov said.
Russian tourists travelling to Antalya are spending as much as in the Maldives
Mikailov said Russian visitors arriving in Istanbul represented a range of market segments, including economy, premium and luxury travellers.
“Antalya is more preferred by the premium segment. Prices have increased in recent years and an Antalya holiday is no longer an economical holiday for us. They spend as much as they would on a trip to the Maldives,” he said.
Price-sensitive customers are turning to Asia
Mikailov said price-sensitive Russian travellers had begun choosing destinations such as Thailand and other countries in Asia.
“However, those who prioritise service and quality over price will continue to come to Antalya because they cannot get this level of service elsewhere,” he said.
Sea, sand and sun remain Türkiye’s core Russian segment
Mikailov said more work was needed to ensure that Türkiye generated demand throughout all four seasons.
“Those coming now are people who love the sea. There are also people who come for tours. But people who come for tours do not want to join the same tours every year. They see it once, then in the second year they see it in more detail, but they do not want to see it for a third time,” he said.
For this reason, Mikailov said tour travellers were not Türkiye’s main segment in the Russian market.
“Our main segment is sea, sand and sun,” he said.
