Russia has equated tours to Belarus with domestic tourism. What does this mean – an expert explains

As explained by the Chairman of the Board of the Republican Union of Tourism Industry (RUTI) Philipp Guly, this decision will allow small regional companies to independently form tourism products, book hotels and excursions, bypassing large federal intermediaries.

The norm is especially relevant for destinations popular with Russians: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and Uzbekistan. For travel agencies specializing in these countries, the costs of financial guarantees will be reduced by tens of times.

RUTI warns that in the short term, the innovation may cause a rush demand and some price increase in the high season due to increased competition. However, in the medium term, it will strengthen interregional ties, support direct air traffic and structure the market.

As for the cost of travel packages, experts do not expect them to become significantly cheaper. Instead, the travel market is expecting an expansion of the range and the emergence of new niche offers adapted to the needs of tourists from different regions of Russia.

Recall that last year, the mutual tourist flow between Russia and Belarus reached a record 6 million people. The growth in interest is explained by the improvement of infrastructure, quality of service and the complexity of travel to distant foreign countries.

The final list of "friendly countries" to which the new rules apply has not yet been officially published. Presumably, it will include the CIS countries, as well as China, Turkey, the UAE and Egypt.