Experts from the travel service Tutu.ru analyzed airfare sales to Europe, including Christmas, and determined which destinations were the most popular among Russians. The analysis covered flights to European cities from any Russian city.
As the company's press service told TRN, in December 2019, European routes accounted for approximately 81,000 tickets sold on Tutu.ru. This share will decline to 4,000–51,000 tickets at the end of December, when ticket sales for domestic routes within Russia, where the average booking depth is 5–7 days, begin to pick up.
Compared to last year, the number of travelers who decided to go to Europe for the holidays at the beginning of December decreased by 41,000 rubles. The average cost of flights to Europe remained at the same level as last year (+21,000 rubles—to 27,600 rubles for roundtrip tickets).
Prague is far from a new destination for Russian tourists, but, as airfare sales show, it's the most popular in December. Travelers also fly to Düsseldorf and Munich in search of a fairytale atmosphere. Incidentally, four German cities made the list: Düsseldorf, Munich, Berlin, and Frankfurt am Main. This is likely due to both travelers' love for Germany and the number of flights to the country.
Interest in Belgrade has grown significantly (the share of passengers doubled from 1.6% to 2.9%). Serbia is considered one of the cheapest countries in Europe, which is a boon for budget travelers.
At the same time, Barcelona dropped out of the top 10 this year.
Seven of the top 10 destinations saw price declines. The largest decline was on flights to Belgrade (-12%). Conversely, the average ticket to Düsseldorf increased by a third.
Source: trn-news.ru
