How the war in Ukraine has affected global tourism
Business Daily
BBC
4.4 • 816 Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2022
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Exclusive flight data from ForwardKeys shows a huge reduction in the number of Russian tourists going to Turkey and other popular resorts. We hear from businesses in Antalya about the impact it has had so far, and about what might happen over the coming holiday season. Experts Olivier Ponti from ForwardKeys, which analyses tourism trends, and Ana Nichols from EIU, which produces economic insight, explain the economic causes and effects of this reduction in travellers and the knock-on effects of the war. A B&B owner in The Seychelles tells us about a boom in Russian tourists last year, which has now completely vanished due to the invasion of Ukraine. We also hear from a Russian man who had booked a holiday there, but has changed his plans to go somewhere slightly colder instead.
Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Hannah Bewley Photo: Getty Images
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Sam Fenwick and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:07.4 | Today we transport you to the Seychelles, where this year they're hoping to welcome thousands of visitors. |
| 0:14.3 | One of the large beaches on Prallen, which is beautiful, white sand, fringed with coconut trees and takamaka trees. |
| 0:25.1 | Tourism bosses were hoping for a bumper 2022 after two years of travel restrictions because of the pandemic. |
| 0:32.0 | But the war in Ukraine has forced millions to rethink their holiday plans. |
| 0:36.6 | If I imagine myself going into Europe, I'll be a bit embarrassed just to see other people. |
| 0:45.4 | Even though I'm proud to be Russian, people started to dislike each other. |
| 0:50.3 | New research for this program reveals Russian holiday bookings are down by more than three |
| 0:54.9 | quarters on pre-pandemic levels. So today we're asking what effect those cancel holidays |
| 1:00.4 | will have on businesses which rely on Russian tourists. Russians and Ukrainians usually make up |
| 1:08.3 | 8% of the tourism market worldwide. |
| 1:11.9 | Turkey is a preferred choice for Russian holiday makers each year, and Antalya, a resort |
| 1:17.6 | bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the tourist mountains behind, is one of the |
| 1:23.2 | most popular destinations. |
| 1:30.0 | My name is Osman Ayik. |
| 1:32.9 | I'm in tourism business. |
| 1:35.0 | The family business, our business is a family business. |
| 1:38.7 | We are managing hotel champion more than 32 years. |
| 1:46.0 | As you see, this is our resort. |
| 1:49.0 | We are serving different nationalities. |
| 1:53.0 | Lately, we lost some of our European clients, |
| 1:57.0 | but now after this war, |
... |
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