On May 9, many Russian cities officially (by decisions of local legislative assemblies) regain their names from the Great Patriotic War: St. Petersburg turns into Leningrad, Yekaterinburg into Sverdlovsk, Volgograd into Stalingrad, Samara into Kuibyshev, Perm into Molotov, Orenburg into Chkalov, Vladikavkaz into Ordzhonikidze.
On federal TV channels, during the roll call from the Victory Day Parades, this renaming looks impressive – the cities on the air are called the way they were called in May 1945. And so, in the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, the State Corporation for Air Traffic Management (GC ATM) decided to adopt the television tradition. The ATM State Corporation, subordinate to the Federal Air Transport Agency, has issued relevant NOTAMs (notices to flight personnel), according to which from 00:00 on May 8 to 23:59 on May 10, the air traffic authorities in St. Petersburg and Volgograd will provide air navigation services under other call signs – Leningrad and Stalingrad. In other words, the NOTAM primarily concerns the negotiations of pilots with the air traffic controllers at Pulkovo and Gumrak airports. What kind of announcements will be in the cabin, whether passengers will be treated, and what will be printed on boarding passes will all depend on the airlines’ internal decisions and instructions. Maybe all the NOTAM will be limited to that.
Statistics and trends
Analysts at a domestic travel service have found out where Muscovites and Petersburgers will go on an air trip for the May holidays. It turned out that Kaliningrad is the leading destination for residents of both capitals by plane, Sochi is in second place, Moscow and St. Petersburg are in third. Of the foreign destinations for the May holidays, Belarus is the most popular for both Muscovites and Petersburgers. For residents of the Northern Capital, Turkey is in second place, and for Muscovites, Russia is in third. Uzbekistan is in second place for Muscovites, and Azerbaijan is in third place for St. Petersburg residents.
Analysts of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) note that organized foreign tourist traffic is growing by 30% year on year. This year, about 900,000 Russians will have a rest abroad in two weeks, from the end of April to May 12. It is noted that the strengthening of the ruble exchange rate, the expansion of air transportation abroad and the absence of a negative background in geopolitics contribute to good sales dynamics. Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Vietnam are among the top selling destinations for package tours. Compared to last year, Abkhazia dropped out of the top and Vietnam burst in – there are direct charter and block transportation to Nha Trang from 14 cities in Russia. In terms of cost, the average check for the top 5 popular foreign destinations increased by 10-20% over the year, except for Thailand (here it decreased by 15%). Actually, the actual average check for tours sold is: Turkey – 170-190 thousand rubles for two (average duration 6-7 nights, all inclusive), Egypt – 210-230 thousand rubles for two (8 nights, all inclusive), UAE – 220-260 thousand rubles for two (7 nights, half board or FB), Thailand – 180-240 thousand rubles for two (10-12 nights, breakfast), Vietnam – 160-220 thousand rubles for two (10-12 nights, breakfast).
And one large bank and a domestic travel planning service summed up the tourism results of 2024 and the first quarter of this year. It turned out that Russians began to travel more often, but at the same time reduced their expenses when traveling around the country. The top most popular regions for domestic tourism are Moscow, the Moscow Region, the Krasnodar Territory, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Dubai, Phuket, Istanbul, Yerevan and Bangkok are the leaders in outbound tourism destinations. Tourists began to save more when traveling in Russia – the real cost per tourist decreased (adjusted for inflation) by 12% in the first quarter of 2025. Moreover, most of the expenses are vacations in cafes and restaurants and shopping in grocery stores.
Ban on traveling abroad
The FSSP (Federal Bailiff Service) reports that as of March 1, 2025, the ban on traveling abroad was in effect for almost 9.5 million enforcement proceedings. The FSSP emphasizes that it is not about the number of people, but about the number of cases. One person can have several proceedings at once, and bailiffs have the right to impose their own restrictions on each one: the seizure of accounts, property, or a travel ban. That is, 9.5 million cases does not mean that the same number of people cannot leave the country. Among the reasons for the ban are debts on loans, taxes, fines, alimony, communal services, as well as bankruptcy cases. Recall, according to the law, travel restrictions can be applied: for debts over 30 thousand rubles, for non–payment of alimony – from 10 thousand rubles. or with non-property requirements.
From the courtroom
The Leninsky District Court of Makhachkala ordered Pobeda Airlines to compensate the Makhachkala family for the loss of luggage. A family of six flew from Makhachkala to Istanbul in October 2023. One of the suitcases got lost in Istanbul. The search yielded no results. Later, the head of the family sent a claim to the airline with a request to pay compensation for the loss of baggage, but it was not possible to reach a pre-trial settlement of the dispute. Then the passenger filed a lawsuit. Due to the fact that the lost luggage contained items belonging to all family members traveling with the plaintiff along the route, the court concluded that compensation for lost baggage was calculated for 6 people. As a result, the court decided to recover compensation from the airline for the loss of baggage in the amount of 388 thousand rubles and compensation for moral damage in the amount of 10 thousand rubles.
Omsk will convict the owner of a travel agency who stole over 15 million rubles from 17 clients. The investigation of the illegal activities of the 48-year-old owner of one of the local travel companies has been completed by the investigator of the Economic Crimes Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the city of Omsk. It was established that for 15 years the defendant had been conscientiously conducting his business activities and had a good reputation, but then from 2023 to 2024 he stole over 15 million 500 thousand rubles from 17 citizens who applied to him for the purchase of tourist vouchers. The businessman spent most of this money in sports betting shops. The victims learned that the trip would not take place from the accused a few days before departure. Currently, the materials of the criminal case have been sent to the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk for consideration on the merits.
Visa News
The Mexican Ambassador to Moscow, Eduardo Villegas Mejias, told how his country solves the problem of Russian tourists entering the country.: “Most tourists who go to Mexico just want to enjoy their vacation. But there are also those who travel to Mexico to get to the USA from there. This is what the migration services began to identify. At some point, the number of such people grew significantly. Of course, Mexico City is worried about that.” Mr. Mejias noted that Russians mostly use electronic permits to visit Mexico, and recommended applying for a full-fledged visa in Moscow instead.: “We point people to some things that may raise questions from the immigration service. But I think it’s better to get a visa refusal here in Moscow than to fly to Mexico City and find out that they can’t enter the country. Yes, the visa is paid, but if you compare it with the cost of a plane and a hotel in Mexico, it’s definitely cheaper.” The ambassador also acknowledged that Turkish Airlines had independently introduced strict control measures for tourists from Russia in Istanbul last year and did not allow them to board flights to South and Central America at its discretion, and advised them to travel to Mexico by alternative routes.
Starting on May 30, US embassies in a number of countries will switch to a new system for recording interviews – Usvisascheduling. It will be used in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, the UAE, Turkey and Serbia. For those who plan to obtain an American visa in one of these countries in the near future, the embassies recommend completing the entire process by May 19 on the old website, since from May 19 to May 29, applications, changes and payment of fees will not be available on it.
Russia and Oman have signed an agreement on the mutual abolition of the visa regime. Russians will now be able to stay in Oman for up to 30 days at each entry, but no more than 90 days per year. Previously, Russian citizens could expect to receive a 14-day visa upon arrival in Oman.
Excessive tourism
Protests against mass tourism took place in 40 Spanish cities, caused by rising housing prices, overcrowding and a deterioration in the quality of life of local residents. In Madrid, 150,000 people took to the streets with the slogan “We must protect the right to housing.” Property prices have increased by 44% in 10 years, making housing unaffordable for many Spaniards.
To combat excessive tourism, the Barcelona authorities decided to create a special “selfie zone” near the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Every year, Sagrada Familia receives 4.7 million tourists, and many of them spend hours on the sidewalks and even go out onto the roadway for the sake of “that very frame” with the Gaudi facade. However, this leads to inconvenience and security threats, as tourists, trying to make the perfect shot, flood the exits from the metro station and create obstacles for pedestrians and transport. A new “selfie zone” with an area of 6200 square meters. The m will be located between the facade of the Basilica of the Nativity and Gaudi Square on Carrer de la Marina Street. Its creation will begin after the summer of 2025 and will be completed by April 2026, the 100th anniversary of Antonio Gaudi’s death.
Norway will have a tourist tax in 2025. The decision to introduce a tourist fee was made against the background of a record number of overnight stays in Norway in 2024 (more than 38 million) and concerns about the growing number of visitors in some popular areas. To ease the pressure of tourism on local infrastructure, the Norwegian government has allowed municipalities to introduce a tourist fee of 3% of the cost of an overnight stay. It may enter into force in the summer of 2025. The new tax will not be mandatory for municipalities: local authorities will decide for themselves whether to introduce it or not, based on local needs.
Zanse Schans, the “village of windmills”, has announced that entrance to the village will be paid starting in 2026: 17.5 euros per person. The introduction of a limit on the daily number of visitors is also being discussed – 2.6 million people visited Zanse Schans in 2024. The municipality decided that it was time to take action, as the authorities fear that the local infrastructure will no longer withstand the influx of tourists.
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Источник: argumenti.ru
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