Russian tourists now choose Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, instead of Turkey, Kommersant daily newspaper of Russia reported citing the respective market specialists.
Tour operators and independent travel planning systems have recorded a minimum of 50-percent growth in the number of trips to these three South Caucasus countries.
Sergei Tolchin, the Director of Sales at Intourist travel agency of Russia, noted that even though the demand for travel packages toward Armenia and Azerbaijan has tripled, it has not yet reached a considerable amount for the market.
And Alexei Dorosh, Director of Svyaznoy Travel, added that Armenia is the second rapidly growing travel destination—after Georgia—for Russian tourists.
In November 2015, the Turkish air force shot down a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft/interdictor nearby the Turkish-Syrian border. The warplane was taking part in the antiterrorism operations in Syria. This incident led to the ongoing strain in Turkey-Russia relations.
