According to Aviasales.ru, Russian travellers booked 15% more tickets through its air ticket online booking platform for this May holiday season than in the same period of pre-covid year 2019.
The company also notes that 95% of the tickets were sold for domestic routes vs. 75% before the pandemic. The most popular international destinations this year were Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
“As much as 65% of Russian travellers are ready to travel in 2021 despite the covid-related limitations. This is the reason why the Russian travel segment is recovering from the pandemic faster than the rest of the world,” according to Aviasales.
There are similarities between Russia, China and Mexico: “All these counties have become the fastest-growing regions according to the Skift Recovery Index,” notes Aviasales.
The Skift Recovery Index offers a real-time measure of where the travel industry stands in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, providing industry players with a tool for strategic planning.
Real-time information on travel restrictions
As governments tend to close and re-open their borders due to the pandemic highs and lows, Aviasales has undertaken to provide travellers with complete information about travel restrictions.
From open or closed borders, to testing or insurance requirements, to mandatory quarantines, this information appears along with search queries via Aviasales.ru’s website and mobile app.
Specific information is provided not only on a country basis: variations in requirements between different cities or regions within one country are also taken into account. “For example, New York requires quarantine upon arrival, while Miami does not,” notes Aviasales, which shows all these differences.
A dedicated team “constantly analyzes and updates information on the re-opening countries and entry requirements,” the company told East-West Digital News.
