According to a study by a large Russian bank, this year the first May holidays have become a more popular holiday period than the second: the number of Russians who flew on vacation from April 28 to May 1 is twice as much as from May 9 to May 12.
The bank’s analysts note that the majority of travelers (58%) in 2024 purchased air tickets with only one passenger in the order. This is the first time such a trend has occurred in the bank’s observation history. 31% fly together for a vacation, 7% for a threesome, 5% in a company of four or five people. The top 5 popular destinations in Russia during the May holidays this year included Kaliningrad (15%), Sochi (15%), Moscow (14%), St. Petersburg (11%) and Mineralnye Vody (6%). Turkey became the leader among foreign countries (47%), the UAE was in second place (14%), and Thailand was in third place (9%).
One of the domestic travel services analyzed the sales of air and railway tickets specifically for May Day (April 30 – May 1). The top 5 air destinations include two capitals, Sochi, Kaliningrad and Mineralnye Vody. At the same time, among the specific routes, Moscow – Kaliningrad is in the first place, Moscow – Sochi is in the second, and Moscow – St. Petersburg is in the third. Uzbekistan (21%), Turkey (12%), Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan (10% each) and Belarus (9%) are popular among foreign countries. Moscow (25%) is out of competition among train trips, followed by St. Petersburg (9%), Krasnodar (4%), Rostov-on-Don (3%) and Adler (2%). Among the specific routes, Moscow – St. Petersburg is in the first place, Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod is in the second, and Krasnodar – Adler is in the third.
The year of the family
The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, together with the Russian Union of Tourism Industry and the Association of Ski Complexes, reported on discounts and special offers for large families and families with children in hotels and mountain resorts of the country in the Year of the Family, which is announced in 2024. 120 hotels and sanatoriums and 26 mountain resorts from 30 regions of the country take part in the campaign.
However, in parliament, the action of the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism was not appreciated, frankly, very much: “Promotions and discounts are, of course, not bad. The question is, from what amount… And at the time of our monitoring, there was no room fund where families with four, five or more children could be accommodated (“AN” was allocated). When trying to find out the cost of holidays in some randomly selected hotels from the list of participants of the action of the Ministry of Economic Development, the booking system sometimes did not allow booking a room even for a family with three children – only two, and it was suggested to book another room. And for families with two children, the cost of a daily stay in hotels was, according to a random sample, 7-10 thousand rubles, depending on the season,” said Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova.
Airport News
Recall that the Federal Air Transport Agency allowed the Elista airport to open on May 3. But the planes have not yet flown to Kalmykia, most likely, some clarity – who is where – will appear after the May holidays. The summer schedule has been set up for a long time, and Elista, with all due respect, is not Krasnodar. Before closing in February 2022, Azimut flew to Elista from Moscow and St. Petersburg, and Utair flew from Minvod, Rostov-on-Don and Sochi. Negotiations are currently underway with Azimut Airlines and the Aeroflot Group. It is also already clear that the flight time from Moscow to Elista will be twice as long as before, and will exceed three hours – the planes will have to go around the southern part of the country.
Pulkovo Airport temporarily does not accept baggage wrapped in food wrap on its own “without the use of automated equipment.” The ban is justified by the diagnosis of the baggage system. Wrapping a bag or suitcase with foil on official racks designed for this purpose costs from 500 to 1 thousand rubles. The measure, as stated, we repeat, is temporary, but we have nothing more permanent than temporary. We will be glad to make a mistake.
Scandalously criminal and because of this, the popular Telegram channel released news last week: “Suitcases from Dubai “went bad at Domodedovo airport.” Indeed, the recent superstorm paralyzed the emirate airport for several days, and “several hundred passengers” are still trying to find their belongings. But, according to the airport’s assurances, the scale of the disaster, as always, is exaggerated by the Telegram channel: “There are less than 80 pieces of baggage left in the arrival area, sent from Dubai by Emirates Airline. There are no foreign odors in the luggage storage room,” the Domodedovo press service said.
Visa News
We have already written about the fact that Sri Lanka extended a free e-visa for Russian citizens until May 31, and that a service fee will be charged for obtaining an e-Visa. So in fact, the visa is not free at all. On the other hand, we probably shouldn’t have been outraged, since from June 1, the visa will be paid for tourists of all ages (even infants), all categories, all countries. The visa will cost $ 75, the service fee is another 18.5, plus the service fee is $ 9. That’s a total of $102.5.
Actually, for Southeast Asian countries, the constant shuffling of rules is a natural state. So in “AN” No. 17 we wrote that the authorities of the Kingdom of Thailand have once again changed the period of visa–free stay for Russian tourists – from May 1 to July 31, Russians can stay in Thailand without a visa for 60 days. A 90-day visa-free period was in effect until April 30. Last week it turned out that the decision was slightly tweaked and the 60‑day visa–free regime for Russians in Thailand will still be in effect longer – not until July, but until October 31, 2024.
Bulgarian visa centers have finally started accepting documents for tourist visas for Russian citizens. But – surprise – instead of the expected Schengen visas, Bulgarians continued to issue national visas. There have been no comments from the consular department of the Bulgarian Embassy in Russia yet. And it would be interesting to listen.
The 30 coolest streets in the world
Today we are completing the analysis of the rating of the 30 “coolest” city streets of 2024 from the Time Out edition, which was started in “AN” No. 14 and No. 17. According to Time Out, these streets are full of cultural and nightlife, the best bars, cafes, restaurants, unique, interesting shops and shops are concentrated there. In previous reviews, we compared the magazine’s selection with the impressions of “EN-Tourism” in those cities of the rating where we visited: Rua da Boavista in Lisbon (7th place), Consell de Cent Avenue in Barcelona (10th place), Oranienstrae in Berlin (12th place), Fifth Avenue in New York (13th place) and East 3rd Street in Los Angeles (15th place).
In 16th place in the Time Out ranking is Rua Sde Noronha in Porto. We fully support the choice of the publication, if only because rua (street) Sa de Noronha is located in the historical center. When you arrive at the Port, take a look at Rua S de Noronha. In 18th place in the Time Out ranking is Conde Duque Street in Madrid. It is also well located in the center, and, as Time Out writes, “the magnetism of the Kondeduk Cultural center, a former military barracks, has turned Conde Duque Street into one of the most fashionable areas of the capital.” Madrid’s official travel website confirms: “Conde Duque is a quarter in which classics and modernity represent a symbiosis.” We readily believe that it won’t hurt to take a look on occasion.
The Parisian Rue de Belleville completes our acquaintance with the Time Out rating – 20th place. Belleville in French means “beautiful city”. The fact is that Belleville Street rises to the highest point of the highest hill in Paris and, as Time Out writes, “the street is not without beauty: at the intersection with the street of the Pyrenees, the Eiffel Tower appears as if by magic.” We do not know, but to move to the outskirts of the city (XIX and XX metropolitan districts) for the sake of a street not devoid of beauty? It’s up to you, EN-Tourism will definitely pass. And here’s another thing – starting in the 1920s, Belleville turned into an immigrant quarter with the unofficial name “Babelville” (Babelville). Once in the XIII district we accidentally wandered into such a quarter – we had enough impressions, we don’t need any more.
Shall we sail on the Titanic?
Australian billionaire Cleve Palmer is going to recreate a complete replica of the Titanic. To fulfill this dream, Palmer founded the Blue Star Line cruise company, named after the White Star Line shipping company, which included the original ship. According to the plan, the construction of the liner will begin in 2025, and the first cruise will take place in 2027.
The Titanic II is planned to be made more reliable than its predecessor. The liner will have a length of 269 m and a width of 32 m – slightly wider than the original. The capacity will be 2,345 passengers on nine decks with 835 cabins. Almost half of them will be reserved for first class passengers. “We plan to recreate the interior of the ship as much as possible, and we will offer travelers to dress up in the style of the 1900s, but this is not necessary,” says a spokesperson for Blue Star Line. “Third–class passengers will be treated to stews and mashed potatoes at long tables in the communal dining room, as was the case on the original Titanic, although for those who want a less authentic experience, more familiar dishes will also be available.”
Invitation to partnership – t.me/snn1964
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Источник: argumenti.ru
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