Russian invasion creates a multitude of problems for tourism

[webfact]

file photo

 

The latest data from ForwardKeys reveals that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia. 

Before the outbreak of war, the top twenty destinations most booked by Russian travellers in March, April, and May were, in order of total bookings, Turkey, the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan.

Russian tourism has also suffered as on 25th February, the day after the start of the invasion, every booking that was made for travel into Russia was outweighed by six cancellations of pre-existing bookings. 

The source markets exhibiting the highest cancellation rates, in order of volume, were Germany 773%, France 472%, Italy 152%, the UK 254%, India 285% and Turkey 116%.

The invasion also triggered a collapse in the market for Russian outbound travel. 

Destinations which suffered the highest immediate cancellation rates, in the period 24th – 26th February, were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).

 

Thailand’s hospitality industry is suffering

Here in Thailand, it is unclear how many Russians and Ukrainians canceled holidays or how many are still in the country.

As we are now starting to find out, many Ukrainian and Russian tourists in Thailand have also been facing problems with financial transactions and travel following measures launched by various countries banning and blocking services by Russian banks and close airspace to Russian aircraft. 

Having arrived in Thailand, in the thousands, during February, they have now found themselves stranded by both fallout from the international sanctions as well as a lack of flights back to Russia or Ukraine.

For the Russians the government needs to allow Russian planes to come here to take these tourists back rather than just leave them to create more problems.

 

Many Russian and Ukrainian tourists have not been able to use their credit cards.

Meanwhile it is also reported that some Ukrainians have wanted to stay in Thailand until the situation in their home country improves, but have not been able to pay for accommodation or food with their credit cards, the tourism official says. 

Others who have wanted to travel back cannot due to canceled flights.

From a humanitarian point of view, the Thai government needs to help them immediately with free accommodation and food.

Prospects look bleak as March continues with both the sanctions and the invasion of Ukraine ongoing.

However, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, we can now expect the resorts to eventually fill up again with visitors from India and Saudi Arabia.

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-03-07

 

- Aetna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[Hayduke]

 

No problem. The statistical wizards at TAT will crunch some numbers and announce the imminent arrival of 10 million Indian billionaires and 1.5 million Saudi trillionaires. It’s all good.

 

 

[jaiyen]

Take all the Russian tourists to the Russian Embassy and let them sort it out !

[vandeventer]

21 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

Take all the Russian tourists to the Russian Embassy and let them sort it out !

There is only one man in this world to blame for all of this ,and he's having a good laugh. 

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s hospitality industry is suffering

Very telling that Thailand does not see the events in Ukraine as a humanitarian disaster, but as a tourism disaster !

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The source markets exhibiting the highest cancellation rates, in order of volume, were Germany 773%, France 472%, Italy 152%, the UK 254%, India 285% and Turkey 116%.

Destinations which suffered the highest immediate cancellation rates, in the period 24th – 26th February, were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).

I'm not a great mathematician but how on earth do you get over 100% cancelation rate ?

[Guest Isaanlife]

I wonder how they are surviving financially?

 

VISA and MasterCard cancelled in Russia now as well?

[Karma80]

It's almost like people think there is one of the most serious global conflicts of the modern age developing, in a pandemic, and threatening the global economy.

 

I mean, where's your sense of adventure? Why don't you want to risk a two week holiday and play roulette (the Russian version has been cancelled) with mandatory quarantine? ????

[10baht]

Help the Ukrainians - book a room om AirBNB but don't go of course. That's sending really needed money to the Ukrainian people.

[RichardColeman]

10 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

I wonder how they are surviving financially?

 

VISA and MasterCard cancelled in Russia now as well?

Very telling that the Russians in our Chokchai village have done a runner

[Isaan sailor]

It’s all just a prelude to what will happen here when Xi starts his invasions.

[Card]

Good 

[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

It’s all just a prelude to what will happen here when Xi starts his invasions.

My guess would be he wont - not for a very long while - much longer than I would have thought before. Yes, Putin may gain Ukraine, but economically Russia is finished for the next 20-30 years or so (assuming nobody close to warmongering Putin does not take him out). Xi I think is watching the fallout, not just for now but over the coming years also. 

[whaleboneman]

21 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Very telling that Thailand does not see the events in Ukraine as a humanitarian disaster, but as a tourism disaster !

Yes. Dead men, women and children will never be tourists in Thailand.

[whaleboneman]

8 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

It’s all just a prelude to what will happen here when Xi starts his invasions.

Xi is much wiser than Putin. He is invading the globe financially. 

[rotorbreeze]

49 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

Take all the Russian tourists to the Russian Embassy and let them sort it out !

Russian embassy might be closed, due to conflict, would suspect some assistance to stranded Russians here, was at Best Super Market here in Pattaya and seen a couple Russians buying food seems the smart ones have Thai accounts, cash only not like in the past the Russian lady pushing ahead in Q and finally when the bill to be paid ..the card does not work!...yelling Russian at poor young Thai check out girl. So you see many 2 week millionaire Russians now face the beach life with blanket, with fishcake and rice for meals walking away from the Hilton booked for 14days unpaid, beach life with the Thai whom have no work...no WEARING MASK REQUIRED WHILE ON BEACH!

[spidermike007]

Not just tourism. Putin could not have picked a worse time for his despotic brand of adventurism. Hyper inflation already, the world emerging from two difficult years of Covid, and now this? Is he trying to win the contest for the world's most despised man? 

 

Tourism marches on worldwide, despite this. But, not in Thailand. Cowardice, sabotage and ignorance prevent that. Here it is gone, baby gone. The Golden Goose cannot survive 1,700 rounds of live ammo. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

From a humanitarian point of view, the Thai government needs to help them immediately with free accommodation and food

I'm sure Prayut has a cunning plan... a summer camp somewhere maybe, a tent with a view?

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

Take all the Russian tourists to the Russian Embassy and let them sort it out !

Best idea yet.

[hotchilli]

39 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Very telling that Thailand does not see the events in Ukraine as a humanitarian disaster, but as a tourism disaster !

Thailands vision is somewhat one dimensional.

[hotchilli]

35 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

I wonder how they are surviving financially?

 

VISA and MasterCard cancelled in Russia now as well?

Russians banks must start to limit withdrawals soon or they will crash.

[hotchilli]

37 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm not a great mathematician but how on earth do you get over 100% cancelation rate ?

By using the same calculator that TAT uses for imminent arrivals?

[hotchilli]

27 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

It’s all just a prelude to what will happen here when Xi starts his invasions.

I'm waiting for Xi to take back part of NE Russia, which once belonged to China for thousands of years.

[Isaan sailor]

Russia’s banks now paying up to 20% on deposits.  My Thai bank offers less than 1%.  Hmmm.  I think I’ll pass on that one.  Let the George Soros types take advantage…

[rupert the bear]

i have read some of the comments and theyve bewildered me.these people are on holidays or staying here just like  most other readers,they are the same as us.they do not make foreign policy or move chequers on the map,western banks have screwed them and said sanctions were supposed to be directed at the top not the ordinary person in the street and as for the rest of this verbal garbage what of blair and bush and their weapons of mass destruction?napalmed kids in the countries next door,libya and syria beirut and kabul where USA stole half of a starving populations money and left with a targeted rocket attack that killed a bus full of children.democracy ?what was manning and assanges mistake?telling the truth and exposing USA war crimes-look what happened to them.as our lord said he who has not sinned may cast the 1st stone.of course theres iraq and that illegal war so what of that and the responsibility of all you westerners from the countries that played a part in that then?your all guilty just like these people who have great problems not of their own making,shame on you,fools and racists,obviously basic concepts of humanity and understanding are far from your grasp.uncle sams old logic of  'surround everyone with everything weve got and let em have it' is also your mantra of the day

[Blumpie]

How's the gas prices everyone?  Happy?

Oil just jumped ten percent now.  That will trickle down to... everything.  

The world cannot sustain the kind of inflation that we are facing here.  Forget Russian tourists, that is the LEAST of their worries.  

[daveAustin]

35 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

My guess would be he wont - not for a very long while - much longer than I would have thought before. Yes, Putin may gain Ukraine, but economically Russia is finished for the next 20-30 years or so (assuming nobody close to warmongering Putin does not take him out). Xi I think is watching the fallout, not just for now but over the coming years also. 

Yes, and Russia will never recover if the rest of the world weans themselves off their oil and gas (goes green fast) since the country offers little else. Xi probably wouldn’t want to gamble the potential massive fallout with the rest of the world (given the BIG Ukraine reaction) should he attack Taiwan , esp during an election year.

 

As to Thailand’s dilemma regards lack of visitation revenue; that could be put right (partly) in a heartbeat. I mean, just open up already and quit with the unending puerile entry requirements. Duh!

[Blumpie]

2 minutes ago, rupert the bear said:

i have read some of the comments and theyve bewildered me.these people are on holidays or staying here just like  most other readers,they are the same as us.they do not make foreign policy or move chequers on the map,western banks have screwed them and said sanctions were supposed to be directed at the top not the ordinary person in the street and as for the rest of this verbal garbage what of blair and bush and their weapons of mass destruction?napalmed kids in the countries next door,libya and syria beirut and kabul where USA stole half of a starving populations money and left with a targeted rocket attack that killed a bus full of children.democracy ?what was manning and assanges mistake?telling the truth and exposing USA war crimes-look what happened to them.as our lord said he who has not sinned may cast the 1st stone.of course theres iraq and that illegal war so what of that and the responsibility of all you westerners from the countries that played a part in that then?your all guilty just like these people who have great problems not of their own making,shame on you,fools and racists,obviously basic concepts of humanity and understanding are far from your grasp.uncle sams old logic of  'surround everyone with everything weve got and let em have it' is also your mantra of the day

Honestly, I could buy you a beer right now.  

[micmichd]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Very telling that Thailand does not see the events in Ukraine as a humanitarian disaster, but as a tourism disaster !

Thailand is not NATO nor Russia nor EU. Thailand is a sovereign country that cares most for itself. Which is understandable IMHO. 

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Isaanlife said:

I wonder how they are surviving financially?

 

VISA and MasterCard cancelled in Russia now as well?

 

1 hour ago, 10baht said:

Help the Ukrainians - book a room om AirBNB but don't go of course. That's sending really needed money to the Ukrainian people.

How is that going to work if credit cards don't work?