Near abroad tour operators already have a lot of offers in Russia, and the demand is formed.But now in the focus of neighbors are mostly border regions, as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is obvious that other destinations also have the potential to increase the tourist flow. First of all, those that have direct flights from neighboring countries, as well as those that can be combined in one trip with already popular destinations.
«Russia can offer its neighbors not only standard excursion programs, but also other types of tourism that are absent or poorly represented within the countries of the Near Abroad, and therefore will be of interest to their residents, - Aleksey Vengin, head of the Profi.Travel media holding, is sure. — For example, we see great growth potential in medical and health tourism, cruises, as well as in MICE».
Good demand for spa treatment by tourists from Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries, said Ilya Umansky, CEO of the National Tour Operator ALEAN. According to him, this is due to the richness and variety of natural healing factors of Russian health resorts, their high efficiency. For example, drinking balneotherapeutic resorts specializing in gastrointestinal diseases are very popular, which is due to the peculiarities of the national cuisine of Azerbaijan and Central Asia, in which there are a lot of spicy dishes, fried, fatty foods.
It is very important to take into account the nuances in working with these markets - to understand their specifics, the mentality of tourists, national food habits, religion, and culture.