Tourist flow from Saudi Arabia to Russia are projected to at least double during the upcoming summer season compared to the summer of 2025, according to the press service of the tour operator Intourist, a member of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI).
"Based on the results of the summer season, we expect a minimum twofold increase in the number of guests from the Saudi Arabian market," the company stated in a report to TASS.
Intourist notes that demand among Saudi travelers for trips to Russia remains high. Many citizens of the Kingdom plan their travels during the two-week spring break starting at the end of March. "We anticipate that demand for travel to Russia from Saudi Arabia will remain active throughout the entire spring-summer season," the press service added.
The operator observed that the peak flow of Saudi guests traditionally occurs in July and August, coinciding with school holidays. Typically, Saudis travel in large family groups of 10 to 20 people for stays lasting 7 to 10 days. Their preferences lean toward accommodations in central Moscow and nature retreats in the surrounding Moscow region. Approximately 30% of these visitors combine their stay in the capital with a trip to St. Petersburg.
Artur Muradyan, a board member of the RUTI and CEO of Space Travel, emphasized that Russian tour operators are actively expanding their programs to the Kingdom. "If we look at the statistics, the figures for the Russia-Saudi Arabia route are already impressive. While religious tourism still dominates, Saudi Arabia is gradually becoming a major hub for event tourism in the Middle East, and expectations in this direction are quite high," the expert explained.
On February 19, Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sergey Kozlov announced that a mutual visa-free regime between the two nations is expected to be implemented within a few months.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS