Dear CCI Friends,
The article below describes, and reflects on, what could be an emerging trend, the return of ex-pats and tourists to Russia. Several people describe their personal experiences and reasons.
Are we reaching a point of a growing interest in peace, or a growing detachment from the war? As always we welcome your thoughts on this subject.
Sincerely,
The Directors
Center for Citizen Initiatives
MEDUZA: WHY ARE WESTERN TOURISTS AND EXPATS RETURNING TO RUSSIA?
June 6, 2024, Meduza
July 7, 2024, Natylie’s Place: Understanding Russia
By Alex Mitchell
New Year’s Eve 2023. My friends and relatives in Russia were dejected. Nobody felt like celebrating. It was my first time back since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the war fatigue was palpable everywhere.
In 2022, few foreign tourists came from the West — except small numbers of curious “war tourists” who wanted to capture the Russian reality for social media. Official figures show that tourism fell by about 30 percent year-on-year, with the number of people entering the country on tourist visas dwindling to 200,000 (one tour operator estimated that organized tourism fell by 90 percent).