Experts say if political instability continues until the new holiday season, Russian tourists could turn their eyes to Turkey. Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Maya Lomidze, the director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, noted that political chaos could have a negative effect on the North African nation’s tourism revenue. “Political instability is continuing in Egypt, which obviously affects the tourism sector as well. Tour operators in the country could be hurt by this, and some small-scale companies might go out of business. We sent a written letter to Russian authorities requesting the cancellation of flights to Egypt. The situation is not good.

There are close to 40,000 Russian tourists vacationing in Egypt right now, while many still want to visit the country; however, around half of those who purchased a tour to Egypt in advance have cancelled their trip,” she said.

Lomidze noted that if the political chaos and instability in Egypt does not end by the next holiday season, Turkey’s tourism sector could benefit from it. “Of course our wish is for stability to be ensured in Egypt as soon as possible, but assessing the situation from the standpoint of tourism experts, we predict that a majority of Russian tourists will shift to Turkey if the chaos continues through the next tourist season,” she underlined.

The protests continued in their ninth day yesterday as political crisis engulfed the Middle East’s most populous nation. The protesters and political dissidents who lend full support to the people on the street are vowing to put an end to the troubled Hosni Mubarak regime on Friday.

Some 2 million people staged a largely peaceful demonstration in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday, and their anger does not seem to have been eased by Mubarak’s pledge not to seek re-election in September.

In her remarks to Today’s Zaman, Lomidze also noted that some Russian tourists have chosen to go to Thailand instead of Egypt due to the recent events, saying: “People who live in Siberia and the eastern regions of Russia are choosing Thailand over Egypt for the winter season. As for the summer season, of course Turkey will be the top choice for tourists. In terms of Russian tourists, Egypt is Turkey’s main competitor. Turkey broke another record last year as close to 3 million Russian tourists went to Turkey, while almost 2 million went to Egypt, causing it to fall behind Turkey once again.” Stressing that Turkey is a popular place among Russian tourists, Lomidze said: “Turkish tourism officials are still improving their strategies for Russian tourists. Turkey does not only appeal to Moscow or other big cities, but also promotes its tourism sector in different and remote parts of Russia. I think Turkey will reach a new record in tourism this year as well.”