Where is the best place to go on vacation? Where to relax on the sea inexpensively? How different countries are fighting for Russian tourists
We bring to your attention the forecasts of experts about which resorts will be the most popular in the next holiday season.
Where to relax in Russia
All experts agree that the popularity of holidays in their native country is growing and will become a long-term trend.
According to Vladislav Shevtsov, head of the DaTravel.com online service, the most popular places rest is expected to be the Crimea and Sochi. The Momondo search site notes that other areas can also be used for holidays: the popularity of tickets to Anapa increased by 150%, to Minvody by 126%, and to Samara by 44%.
Oleg Safonov, interim head of the Federal Tourism Agency, recommends that tour operators who have been working in foreign destinations for a long time not to forget about Russian resorts, where more and more hotels are switching to the all-inclusive system. This means that international level holidays can be offered in our country, especially since charter flights from different cities. “If in 2014 18 regions took part in the targeted federal program for the development of tourism, then in the future there will be 26 regions and the budget will allocate 5.2 billion rubles against 4.6 billion this year,” Safonov notes.
On the beaches of Turkey and Egypt
Vladislav Shevtsov is sure that the popularity of Turkey, Thailand, Egypt and other beach destinations will not decrease, but Spain and Greece, which are more expensive and require a visa, may “sag”. Independent travelers willingly go to Thailand, Spain and Istanbul. You can also count on reasonable prices, especially on mass resorts like Antalya and Hurghada, where tourists from Russia provide most of the income. The owners of the local hotels adequately reacted by lowering prices to the fall of the ruble.
Alexander Burtin, co-owner of Tez Tour, notes that discounts averaged 20%. Tours in ruble prices have risen in price all the same, but not so dramatically. Tour operators took this into account and redirected their programs in the direction of budget popular resorts. No matter how the economic circumstances develop, tours to Turkey and Egypt will not rise in price, remaining at last year's level.
DaTravel experts note the unexpected popularity of air tickets to London and Paris, and they are bought in advance and especially at times of ruble weakening. And this means that the Russians, under all circumstances, are not going to give up spring trips to the expensive capitals of Europe. And it is better to choose real estate on the website - http://prian.ru/france/land/. Objectively and a great choice!
East direction
Nevertheless, Europe is getting more expensive and Russian travelers are increasingly targeting Asia - Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China. Irina Ryabovol, a representative of Momondo in Russia, notes that the main advantage of Asian countries is inexpensive goods and services, only air travel requires costs. And it is warm all year round and there are no visa problems.
Skyscanner.ru search engine experts are optimistic about Asian travel, highlighting a number of promising routes:
South Korea, which has recently abolished visas for Russians, is very interesting, there are enough flights there and the popularity of this destination is actively growing;
Sri Lanka does not require a visa in advance, it is installed at the airport, and flying with cheap low-cost flydubai flights through the Emirates allows you to fly on vacation at no extra cost;
Cambodia, which used to get on excursions while relaxing in Thailand, has become independent route with low prices and many interesting places(one temple complex Angkor Wat is worth what);
Brazil, where a visa is not required, and for the 2016 Olympics, both service and security are improving.
Schengen requires fingerprints
For European trips from the summer of 2015, you will have to take fingerprints - Schengen visas become biometric for Russians. This is not the result of sanctions: the novelty operates in many countries and was planned for a long time. It remains only to equip the consulates in Russia with the appropriate equipment. It is assumed that fingerprints will be taken every five years at the first application for a visa. For residents of those regions where there are no consulates, it will be inconvenient: they will have to go, since it will no longer be possible to submit documents through a travel agency.
To visa-free countries Indonesia is added (although there were no problems there, they were installed at the airport for $30) and negotiations are underway with Mexico.
2014 was not the easiest year for global financial markets. However, the market is a market: there is always someone who loses and someone who finds. Considering that not all reliable assets have made a profit in the past year, it is worth considering other investment alternatives. MarketWatch has compiled a ranking of what it is better to invest in in the coming year.
In the first place, oddly enough, the American stock market. The S&P 500 is currently at its highest level since 2005. However, the MarketWatch columnist writes Jeff Reeves, this is no reason to panic. Much more dangerous, he calls the bond market considered “safe”. Given the improvement in the US economy, companies will earn more, this will support their stocks. And if there is no explosive growth, then the fall of these assets still looks unlikely.
In second place are stocks of technology companies. These papers have been the leaders of such ratings for several years now, and 2015 will not be an exception. Here, funds focused on, for example, Dow Jones will win. The sector's biggest driver will be increased R&D spending by high-tech businesses, as well as organic growth by both big companies like Facebook and smaller ones.
The high-tech sector is followed by the financial sector in terms of investment prospects. While many investors may not trust banks since the financial crisis, they have improved their balance sheets significantly in recent years and their future looks very good in 2015. If US consumer spending remains strong through the end of 2014 and into New Year, this trend will continue. Plus, the prospect of tighter Fed policy could lead to higher interest rates and higher lending margins in 2015.
There are interesting opportunities in emerging markets as well. Among them are India and Indian companies. This market deserves serious attention. Yes, this country has been battered by high inflation and political infighting, but it is a very fast growing economy. Inflation has now fallen from a peak of 11% in January to 5.5%, showing that this problem can be solved thanks to the actions of the Reserve Bank of India. That being said, India's GDP growth rate from 5.6% this year to 6.4% in 2015, according to the IMF and the World Bank, will put India just below China, which continues to struggle with its economic slowdown.
In general, the global picture in the financial markets does not look catastrophic. The situation here may not be as bad as it seems to some analysts now. Moreover, most of the negative has already been taken into account by the market. Therefore, for example, Goldman Sachs predicts the prospects of such markets as Japan and even Europe, as well as emerging markets such as China. And if you do not trust the American economy, then investing in the economy Asian countries will also be very profitable and will allow you to hedge risks.
The next good opportunity is the US dollar, which will remain strong. Problems in a number of world countries around the world have led to the growth of the dollar compared to other currencies. And now it is almost impossible to imagine a place where the dollar will lose ground.
Indeed, almost all of these opportunities are a good investment of money, the majority of analysts polled by Expert Online agree. Kira Yukhtenko, a leading analyst at brokerage FBS, also advises buying the dollar in 2015, as the US economy is recovering, and the US monetary authorities are moving steadily along the path of tightening monetary policy. Commodity currencies, in particular the ruble, will continue to fall in price, so a reliable US currency is the best tool to preserve and increase savings. The American stock market also looks attractive for investments, as well as stocks of companies in the high-tech sector.
To investments with a high probability of positive returns Head of the Trust Management Department of Absolut Bank Ivan Fomenko also refers to the US market. It becomes clear that the growth of US stocks depends not only on stimulation from the Fed. The high-tech sector should be considered as the locomotive of the US stock market. It will continue to be among the best, while maintaining high potential for revenue growth. At the same time, the expert agrees, the dollar will retain its strong positions at least in the first half of 2015.
Financial consultant of the vvCube group of companies Anastasia Mylnikova, considers gold an interesting asset. Investing in gold has always been considered a reliable investment. Now the prices for the yellow metal are slightly, but growing. As for investments in technology, the expert is sure that they have always been, are and will be profitable and promising. The only negative is that they are designed for a fairly long payback period and are not suitable for those who plan to receive income in a short period of time. You can not discount real estate - even if in a crisis, its value falls, then in the future, in any case, it wins back the losses.
For Russia, real estate investment is also relevant, and it’s better to do it before the new year, since real estate prices will jump sharply from January, suggests the asset manager of the Magut Fund Management Company Plato Maguta. Most likely, prices in dollars will decrease by 20-25%, in rubles - on the contrary. Over the next 4-5 years, prices will at least double. Experts who have developed a profitable investment guide agree with his opinion.
Also, he believes, you can invest, for example, in jewelry, now it is a fairly popular alternative investment. For qualified investors in Russia, investments in the shares of export-oriented companies will be the most attractive, since in the context of the devaluation of the ruble, such companies will have a significant incentive and advantage to improve financial performance.
In the meantime, one must understand that in 2014 the world nevertheless entered a crisis, an independent analyst believes. Dmitry Adamidov. So far, this is clearly visible in Russia, Ukraine, and in the "peripheral" EU countries, but by the end of 2015, it will certainly affect all other economies. And the crisis will most likely also spread "from the foreign exchange market" - problems will arise in the most liquid sectors (currencies and government securities), and then they will appear on the stock and commodity markets. In this situation, the risks are very high, but the most reasonable strategy seems to be buying obviously undervalued assets. For example, you can already pick up gold, which has decently fallen in price over the past year and a half. Or Russian bonds and preferred shares - which (especially in foreign currency terms) are inexpensive, and provide decent returns.
The same is true for international transactions. Analysts in Asia are singling out India because its economy is not as heavily export-driven as China and Japan and has growth potential. But, according to Adamidov, the time for "carpet" investment has passed - objects even in promising markets must be chosen very carefully. And entry time is also now of key importance. There are plenty of examples of this even on the Russian market: Mechel or AFK Sistema, which are not feeling well, nevertheless, could bring investors up to 100% in 1-2 days if they entered their shares on time without succumbing to general panic. As always, it remains important for an investor to correctly assess the risks and determine the “entry point” into the market.
But the main rule for everyone, Anastasia Mylnikova concludes, is that all investments must be diversified.
In Russia, as you know, there is a crisis, so the question of “where to relax at sea inexpensively” is very acute. The flow of tourists is declining, the struggle for tourists is escalating. Therefore, the authorities of some countries, not wanting to lose money, are trying with all their might to attract tourists from Russia. What are they doing so that the Russians can afford inexpensive vacation on the sea?
Egypt cancels visa fee for Russians
Russia is the main "supplier" of tourists to the resorts of Egypt. As a result, fewer Russians can afford a holiday abroad at sea, and in late 2014 - early 2015, the flow of tourists from Russia to Egypt fell by 50%. The authorities of the country of the pyramids thought. And decided to the end holiday season- that is, until May 15, 2015 - to cancel the visa fee for Russians.
Recall that Russian citizens when traveling to Egypt receive a visa at the border and pay $25. Until recently, it was about 800 rubles, but now… I won’t even write, because today it’s one figure, and tomorrow it can grow a lot. And if you go with a family of three or four people? What an inexpensive vacation at sea, what an "all inclusive" when one visa eats up several thousand rubles.
Where to relax on the sea inexpensively: in order to attract more Russian tourists, Egypt has canceled the visa fee of $25.
After May 15, 2015, the visa fee for Russians is again valid and amounts to the same $25. But the season is already “low” now - most of those who wanted to go to Egypt this year have already been there. The Egyptian authorities are confident that the innovation did not allow the tourist flow from Russia to collapse even more.
As for future plans, now the country of pyramids is considering the possibility of selling tours for Russians at fixed prices in rubles. And many Hurghada hotels and Sharm El Sheikh so that tourists do not run away, they lowered prices for accommodation.
Well done Egyptians.
Turkey gives discounts and helps airlines
"All-Union health resort" Antalya also does not want to lose tourists from Russia, who are used to spending holidays at sea inexpensively. Therefore, the Turkish government adopted a special anti-crisis package aimed specifically at Russian tourists. For example, there is a clause stating that Turkey will allocate subsidies of $6,000 for each flight from Russia and back.
According to English-language Thai newspapers, Thais in Pattaya and Phuket have long felt the impact of the Russian crisis on their wallets. And they turned to the authorities: there are fewer and fewer Russian tourists, something must be done! There is no need to do anything, the government replied. "We are confident that Russia's economy will recover soon," Tawchai Arunik, head of Thailand's tourism authority, said at a recent press conference. How: when even the Russian authorities admit that the crisis is serious and for a long time, the Thais promise us an early economic sabai.
In the meantime, there are few Russian tourists, Thai workers in the resort industry are advised to switch to others. Russians, for this time, will find other places where to go and where to relax at the sea inexpensively.
At the same time, poor Thais, in fact, have no one to switch from Russian tourists. Especially in Pattaya. Tourists from Europe and America bypass our city, preferring her, and. Of the white people, besides the Russians, there are only a lot of old perverts here, but you won’t earn much money on them.
So while the Turks and the Egyptians are trying to do something so that the Russians can relax on the sea inexpensively, and they can save at least part of their income, the Thais prefer to just sit and wait for the Russian economy to recover, and after it the tourist flow. How is that Buddhist, right?)))
Where to relax on the sea inexpensively in 2015? Of course, in Thailand! After all, you have our website and our article about.
By planning your vacation in advance, you can greatly reduce its budget. Early booking will help you save on flights and hotels, and we will tell you which countries to pay attention to in order to get the most out of your trip at the lowest cost.
The political situation in this North African state has relatively stabilized, and most of the warnings and restrictions for tourists have been lifted. Prices for holidays in Tunisia, however, remain tempting to again attract the former number of guests to the country. But next year, you can expect no crowds on the beaches and overcrowded hotels – you can relax by the sea in a relaxed atmosphere, view Star Wars filming locations or explore the Roman ruins that dot the north of the country. Seasonal charters from European airports to the island of Djerba will help you save even more on a trip to Tunisia.
Due to currency fluctuations South Africa has become more accessible to travelers than in many previous years. Instead of settling for little in crowded resorts, note that South Africa offers inexpensive vacations at any time of the year. Most tourists will be able to find something to fit their budget here, whether it's a cheap and fun seaside cafe, affordable wildlife watching on a safari, or free admission to many of the country's museums. Come to South Africa in the spring or fall (March to May and September to October) for comfortable weather and less crowds of tourists.
Shanghai
One of the most famous cities China, despite its huge population, remains very affordable for travelers on a budget. Prices for hotels without frills start here from $ 10 per person and continue to delight in more prestigious segments of the hotel business. It's a similar story with eating out: regular street food will cost a dollar, but large portions at popular restaurants won't cost much more. Walking through busy streets to feel the pulse of a rapidly changing metropolis is generally free, but at the same time priceless.
Samoa
Samoa is beautiful and wild tropical paradise, where guests will benefit from low cost buses and simple idyllic beaches while staying in huts owned by local families and sharing their simple yet exotic lunch with them. The markets of Apia, Samoa's capital, offer the best in daily necessities, souvenirs and food at penny prices. Getting to these places is not easy, but not so difficult: it is best to fly through Australia or New Zealand.
Bali
While many once budget resorts as prices increased in popularity, Bali never ceased to delight travelers. Tourist-favorite beach bungalows and other affordable treasures are still around, along with inexpensive food and cheap transportation. And, of course, one cannot help but recall the famous Balinese spa treatments, which are better here and at the same time much cheaper than in many other places.
While Brazil is flooded with tourists due to the World Cup, Uruguay has become a more favorable and inexpensive choice for a small trip to South America. There is a lot to enjoy in this state: ruddy steaks, calm Montevideo and melancholy beaches that annually seduce new batches of tourists with their sandy coasts. During the peak season, most resorts tend to have to plan carefully, while Uruguay remains an undervalued and affordable destination. South America. In the sleepy coastal town of Fray Bentos, a former meatpacking plant houses an unforgettable industrial revolution museum that preserves original equipment from the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as social and cultural artifacts.
Portugal
Regular visitors to Portugal's Algarve region are no longer surprised low prices compared to other European resort areas. This wonderful region family vacation and surfing is known not only good beaches. Lisbon is just as good as Barcelona, only cheaper and fewer tourists. Travel is about to become much more affordable as low-cost airline Ryanair opens its base in Portugal's capital. Prices will also get even lower if you get off tourist route and go to any other part of the country. A bargain trip around Lisbon for 2.85 euros can be made on tram number 28, which passes many of the city's attractions, including the Alfama district, where the Santa Luicia mirador is located.
Taiwan
A trip to Taiwan is beneficial in every way. In Taipei, everything is much cheaper than in Hong Kong, Seoul or Tokyo. Hotel accommodation may not be very cheap, but hostels and guest houses are plentiful, and many national parks and forests of the island are equipped with campsites. Train routes run on new lines and travel fast, and tickets are fairly cheap. Walks to local attractions and temples are also inexpensive, and even entry to major museums is affordable. Food is perhaps the main advantage of Taiwan. Here it is available, ranging from dumplings in a street eatery to dishes high class which cost much less than comparable cities. A large bottle of Taiwanese beer will set you back about $4, or even less if you buy it at the grocery store.
Eastern European countries often appear on lists of the best by value, but in the case of Romania, this is completely justified. It is now conveniently connected to the rest of Europe via low cost airlines, and accommodation is presented in many price categories. Hotels in Bucharest are more likely to host business travelers, so it is not crowded during the holiday season. The surrounding area has old villages, magnificent castles and the spectacular Danube Delta, which is best explored via inexpensive, albeit slow, ferries. To save on travel, you can use buses, minibuses and so-called "mini-taxi".
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a small state in West Africa– still remains its rare pearl. This is a little known place that makes those who have visited it dream of returning there. Knowledgeable people talk about colorful markets, friendly local residents, impressive mountain ranges and the cheerful city of Ouagadougou, a capital with an unpronounceable name, where a creative atmosphere reigns. With such affordable prices and variety wildlife you can hardly find a more enjoyable activity than watching animals in West Africa. You can travel around Burkina Faso in air-conditioned buses with tight schedules and advance ticket sales. There are also taxis that take you to more remote areas.
In 2015. At the same time, when planning a trip, it is not worth focusing only on weak local currencies that have fallen in price synchronously with the ruble. You need to draw up a detailed financial plan for the trip and take care of early booking. It is worth paying attention to Russia and the CIS countries, where prices do not depend on dollar or euro fluctuations. In addition, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, India are still relatively inexpensive holiday destinations.
Sabina Khasanova, head of the information and analytical service of the Banki.ru portal:
"The fall of the ruble against the dollar and the euro automatically means its devaluation relative to other currencies. Under these conditions, countries with developing economies become the most affordable vacation options. Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Turkey and Egypt, which are familiar to everyone, as well as the CIS countries. Although, of course, for different social groups the concept budget holiday may be different. When traveling abroad, it is also important to consider that when calculating bank cards international payment systems, an additional commission may be charged when converting Money. So it's better to pay in cash.
“It is not always necessary that it will be easy to travel to a country whose national currency has fallen “along with the ruble”. Seychelles, which were also included in the list of weak currencies last year. But this does not mean at all that a trip to Argentina or Madagascar will now cost less than to countries whose currencies showed the best dynamics. When traveling to distant countries, a large part of the expenses, in addition to accommodation and various expenses on the spot, falls on expensive tickets. For example, the cost of one ticket from Russia to Argentina (50-60 thousand rubles) may well exceed the cost of a week-long vacation in European country taking into account tickets, accommodation and meals, even taking into account the increased euro exchange rate," says Sergey Deineka, an expert at BCS Premier Bank.
Therefore, when planning a trip, he recommends paying attention to a combination of factors, in other words, drawing up a detailed financial plan for the trip - carefully monitoring the prices of tickets and accommodation, as well as planning expenses during the holidays (and often this is the most difficult thing, due to psychological factors), you can save a lot of money, even going to a country that has risen in price, for example, in the USA.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, etc. are still not very expensive to travel. "Due to the presence of less expensive tickets than, for example, in the countries of Latin America, as well as the general low level of prices, the fall of the ruble did not have such a strong impact on the overhead of recreation in these countries," the expert notes.
Deineka also draws attention to the psychological effect that is often observed when visiting expensive countries: "When a traveler finds himself in a country with a high level of prices (even before last year's fall of the ruble, such countries were Norway, Switzerland, Iceland), he begins to take a more responsible approach to spending and often travels more economically than in a cheap country, in which he is constantly tempted to buy as many inexpensive and often unnecessary things as possible, "says the expert.
"Regarding the prices for air tickets at the beginning of 2014, Sochi added 20% in price, and Phuket doubled in price, while Mineral water lost a little more than 12% of the price, so you need to look at each direction separately, the dynamics are very multidirectional and depend not only on economic factors. As for recommendations, I would advise you to look for tickets now. Transaero is being actively sold, and foreign carriers also have interesting offers. The European Riga, Istanbul and Italy are "falling" especially hard at Transaero. In addition, the low-cost airline Wizz Air keeps prices at pre-crisis levels. At the same time, Budapest (the base airport of the carrier) will cost the traveler cheaper than Prague. At the same time, the cities are very similar."
Elena Zaitseva, Head of Product Management at Travelata online tour hypermarket:
"In the current economic and political situation and the depreciation of the ruble, it is better to choose countries where you do not need to spend additional funds on vacation or spend them at a minimum. These are Turkey and Egypt, where it is better to go to the All Inclusive system. In this case, you do not need will buy a lot of foreign currency to take with him.The cost of tours to these destinations has increased by 20% or more compared to last year.
"Thailand last year cost from 32-35 thousand rubles per person for a week, now it is at least 40 thousand rubles. The same with Sri Lanka. India cost from 29 thousand rubles - now 38-40 thousand rubles. rubles per person. However, the relative cheapness of recreation, food and transport in these countries compensates for the high costs of the tour, "Zaitseva gives examples.
Regarding the exotic countries of South America (Argentina, Chile), the expert says that now long-haul destinations are in little demand, and tour operators conclude contracts in dollars and euros, so the local currency exchange rate does not greatly affect the cost of the contract. The exceptions are countries popular with Russian tourists, who are very much aware of the drop in demand from our tourists (Greece, Spain, Turkey, Egypt) and reduce contract prices for tour operators to increase demand. Seychelles last year cost from 65 thousand rubles. per person, now from 75 thousand rubles. Everything else is about the same level or more expensive.
The expert advises booking tours at least 2-3 months before departure - this is how the tourist receives a 20-35% discount on the cost of the tour and fixes the course for his package. Thus, it does not depend on fluctuations in exchange rates when buying a package and saves a significant amount.
According to Travelata's forecast, in 2015 Turkey (as a country with no alternatives in terms of quality of rest), Egypt (as a country with a low price tag and a good level of service), China (demand will increase, but with flights from Moscow not so much - more with departures from the regions), Thailand (as the cheapest exotic destination), Bulgaria (as the cheapest European destination).
Its founder Sergei Vinsky presented his forecast of what will happen to tourism in Russia in 2015 at the most popular travel forum in Runet. Among the budget options for recreation, he gives examples of the countries of Vietnam, Bolivia and Zimbabwe.
In his opinion, in 2015 the number of travelers will decrease, since travel is essentially a luxury, and when incomes fall, a person refuses, first of all, from luxury, leaving only the most necessary in priority.
"There will be fewer trips abroad. Travel in Russia will initially increase, but due to prices, low level of service, security problems, and a short comfortable season, they will also decrease," the traveler believes.
"There is such a law - the law of communicating vessels: where a little water has subsided, on the other hand it has been added and the balance has been restored. Russian tourists in Thailand do not make the weather. Now the weather is made by Chinese tourists, and prices will only grow - due to better service, services and for by improving the well-being of Thai citizens in the end.As for Turkey, they will leave Russian tourists- German and Austrian tourists will come, Russian tourists will leave in Egypt - tourists from Sweden and Italy will come ... A holy place is never empty, "Vinsky predicts.
