Let's start the week with the #TourNews@avantourspb section

✈️ 32 instead of 43. This summer, direct flights abroad will be a quarter fewer
The number of destinations has decreased not only due to seasonality but also restrictions: in Cuba, Venezuela, and the Persian Gulf countries.
At the same time, Russians have become more active in traveling abroad than in 2025. Passenger traffic for the first four months of 2026 increased by almost 10%.

💲 The dollar fell below 73 rubles. Is it worth waiting for the "perfect exchange rate"?
For the first time since March 2023, the ruble has strengthened to this level. However, according to experts, the increase in demand for summer tours is primarily due to seasonality, and you shouldn't wait to book.
The cost also depends on flight occupancy, hotel availability, and overall demand. In practice, it's often the opposite: the dollar and euro fall, while tour operators' prices rise due to the start of the high season.
It is profitable to pay now for those who used early booking and fixed the price in foreign currency — the final amount in rubles will be lower.

🏖️ The most underrated resort in Egypt. Why go to Marsa Alam
The same Red Sea, but the opposite of the popular and noisy Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.
The resort is considered one of the best destinations for snorkeling and diving: here you'll find living coral reefs, clear water, and relatively few tourists. There's a chance to see dugongs, giant turtles, and mangrove forests in the Wadi el-Gemal National Park area. In summer, the sea is especially clear here.
At the same time, Marsa Alam is a windier region, popular among kitesurfing and windsurfing enthusiasts. A plus is that even 40-degree heat is noticeably easier to bear here in summer.
Downside: there are no direct flights from Russia. Tourists usually fly to Hurghada and then take a 3–3.5 hour transfer by road.

🪪 You can fly without a passport from June 1
However, there are a few "buts":
• only for Aeroflot passengers,
• on Moscow-St. Petersburg flights at Sheremetyevo and Pulkovo,
• you can check in and board using biometrics, and you can submit your biometrics right at the airport or in advance at authorized banks into the Unified Biometric System,
• until the experiment ends on April 1, 2027, it's better to still bring your passport.

✈️ Officially visa-free to Saudi Arabia.
Since May 11, a foreign passport is sufficient for travel to Saudi Arabia. Several carriers already have flights in their schedules, but restrictions on travel to Persian Gulf countries for Russians have not yet been lifted. So tours are not yet on sale.
You can book independently and fly at your own risk.
Experts predict an increase in tourist flow closer to autumn (when the heat subsides) and, of course, when the situation in the region stabilizes.

🏝️ Tanzania is postponed. The launch of direct flights at the end of May has been canceled
Although Air Tanzania planned to launch flights from Moscow to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam on May 28, there was no specific information (on prices, conditions).
Now the countries plan to sign a memorandum of cooperation in tourism in June. And we still have to wait for the new air service agreement to take effect.

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And 🙏 if it upset you