During the Cold War, an exotic foreign vacation for a Russian tourist usually consisted of a visit to a Soviet satellite state such as Bulgaria or Poland – assuming they could get all the right documentation.
The collapse of the USSR wrenched open the entire world, in a very real way, for the formerly isolated Russian population. In subsequent years, Russians were able to flock to the sites of London and Berlin, the cafés of Paris and Rome, the beaches of Turkey and even Florida. As the Putin era brought a touch of prosperity for the average person, possibilities expanded, tour agencies proliferated, and millions of Russians began taking international travel for granted.
But geopolitical events are once again limiting their choices. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea 11 years ago – exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine three years ago – Russians have found it increasingly difficult to obtain visas, make payments abroad, or even find airline connections to formerly favored European destinations.
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With the West now inhospitable to them, Russian tourists are looking elsewhere for getaways. And they are finding holiday opportunities in some unlikely countries.
Recently, growing numbers of Russians have been heading for places that remain off-limits to all but the most adventurous Western travelers, including North Korea, Iran, and Afghanistan.
“The era of mass tourism for Russians is very young, yet it keeps transforming,” says Mikhail Maltsev, president of the Ural Tourism Association, based in Yekaterinburg. “One constant is that Russians really like to travel, and are willing to put a lot of their resources and efforts into it.”
“Much better to have a Russian passport”
Anton Krotov is one of Russia’s best-known travel bloggers, having visited 140 countries and written 67 travel books. He carries only a Russian passport, which may be an inconvenient document for travel to Western countries these days, but, he argues, is very well regarded in many parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
“A lot of people seem pleased and fascinated to meet a Russian,” he says. “There are places, especially in Asia, where it’s probably much better to have a Russian passport than an American one.”
International travel can be complicated for Russians; secondary sanctions make Russian payment systems unusable even in some relatively friendly countries like Turkey. But Russian tour operators have been looking for new places where Russian passports and ruble payments are welcome, and which offer interesting shopping opportunities, exotic historical sites, and even luxury beach vacations.
Russians can find the last in North Korea, which has repurposed a former missile-testing site into a vast seaside resort zone set to open this month. The zone will boast 54 hotels; two miles of beachfront; and a wide range of shops, restaurants, and other attractions.
It’s not clear where all those tourists are supposed to come from. But several Russian agencies are already gearing up to provide package tours for famously beach-loving Russians, for whom North Korea is relatively accessible by air or rail link from the Pacific city of Vladivostok.
Since North Korea lifted its long pandemic shutdown just over a year ago, Russian travel agency Vostok Intur has brought over 1,000 Russians to the Hermit Kingdom on organized tours. A four-day, all-inclusive train tour out of Vladivostok visits several cities and costs just under $1,000.
“You can only go to North Korea in a tightly-organized group tour,” says Mr. Krotov. “But for Russians it’s a bit like a time machine. You get a glimpse of how we used to live 80 years ago, in the Stalin era. Everything is controlled: You are always under surveillance, you can never go off on your own, and only see what you are shown.”
Dmitry Gordeev, who recently participated in a tour to North Korea, told the MIR 24 TV network that it was one of the most exciting trips he has ever taken.
“Why? Because you find yourself in a completely closed country. They don’t even have the internet. Apart from our group of around 70 Russians, there were absolutely no foreigners. We were the only guests in a giant 38-floor hotel,” he said. “You’re not in prison, of course, but you can’t go outside.”
Experts say that while Russians certainly notice the regimented nature of the society around them, they don’t chafe at it as much as Westerners might. Travelers report good quality services, apparently friendly people, beautiful scenery, and broad, empty beaches. “There is every possibility for North Korea to become a major destination for Russian mass tourism, especially beach and wellness tours,” says Mr. Maltsev.
Revisiting an old war
Another emerging destination for Russians is Afghanistan, which has become legally accessible since the Russian government formally lifted the Taliban-run country’s “terrorist” status in April. Several Russian tour operators were already organizing trips to the country via Turkey and the Gulf states, but experts say direct tours from Russia will begin soon.
“The Taliban are actually very tourist-friendly, and the most dangerous thing in the country these days is the road traffic,” says Mr. Krotov, who has been to Afghanistan several times and is now consulting for Russian travel agencies looking to start direct tours.
One particular group has a definite interest in visiting Afghanistan, now that it’s peaceful and relatively Russia-friendly: Russian veterans of the USSR’s nine-year war in Afghanistan.
Franz Klintsevich, a Russian parliamentarian and Afghan war vet, says the country holds many memories, and there are former battlegrounds, graves, and even monuments to Soviet troops that are worth visiting. He says he’s been there several times as chair of the official Council of Afghanistan Veterans. He has found that the Taliban respects Soviet war memorials, and the people are generally “patient and respectful” of Russian visitors.
“There is no proper infrastructure for tourists, so Afghanistan is probably not attractive for most Russians,” he says. “But with a bit of organization, I think a lot of our veterans would be pleased to go. Their average age is in the mid-60s now, and I know there are feelings of nostalgia, a yearning for more perspective, maybe closure.”
Until the Israeli airstrikes last week, Iran was another destination on which Russian tour companies had been setting their sights. Mr. Maltsev, who has been there several times, says Iranian authorities had been making efforts to attract Russian tourists, and new air routes were planned.
Iran had been developing a reputation for being “completely safe, very affordable, and increasingly accessible by air from Russia,” he says.
It is still unclear what long-term impact the current war will have on Russian tourism in Iran.
The future world for Russian tourists probably mirrors the geopolitical BRICS+ global order being championed by Russian diplomacy, say experts.
“Some doors close, but others open,” says Mr. Maltsev. “The world is a very big place.”
