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Türkiye is emerging as a primary destination for Russian tourists as travel demand to Persian Gulf countries collapses amid the Iran conflict, with cancellations affecting nearly all March departures and extending into April, Russia’s Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) reported.
The shift follows a sharp drop in demand for Gulf destinations after recent attacks targeting Iran, which have led to growing safety concerns among travelers and disrupted regional travel flows.
Travel demand is now shifting toward Türkiye, Egypt, and Thailand, with Türkiye standing out as a leading option, it said.
Tour operators say cancellations for Gulf destinations have spread quickly, now covering both March and April bookings. Nearly all March departures have been called off, while travelers continue to cancel upcoming trips.
The slowdown is affecting the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, where demand has dropped noticeably.
Instead of waiting for refunds, many travelers are choosing to switch destinations, ATOR said, as operators steer clients toward rebooking while reimbursement processes slow under heavy demand.
Around 15% of canceled trips have already been rebooked, and the share is still rising, ATOR stressed. Some companies expect to redirect as much as 70–80% of affected bookings.
Airlines are mostly issuing refunds without issues, but hotel policies vary. Some return advance payments, while others keep part of the money as incurred costs, which are deducted during cancellations.
Russian authorities have allowed tour operators to tap personal liability funds to handle the surge in cancellations, though companies are applying this differently depending on their exposure and partners, ATOR added.
Türkiye remains a top choice for Russian visitors, accounting for 13% of all foreign arrivals in 2025 with 6.9 million tourists. In the first two months of 2026, Russians ranked second after Iranians, with 392,000 arrivals.
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