# The War in Ukraine Dealt a $7 Billion Blow to Global Tourism > How the war in Ukraine hit tourism across the Middle East: from fewer Russian visitors to new opportunities. We break down the $7 billion price tag. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/viina-v-ukraini-zavdala-shkody-svitovomu-turyzmu-v-7-mlrd/ - Language: en - Published: 2025-08-19 - Categories: Restaurants, Beaches, Hotels, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Food & Drinks, Relaxation --- As Russia's war rages on in Ukraine, its effects on the Middle East are starting to reach well beyond the food shortages that already had some policymakers worried. The Middle East, home to some of the world's oldest civilizations and most opulent cities, is a leading travel destination. Cities like Dubai, Cairo, and Istanbul regularly rank among the top ten places to visit worldwide. But as the war throws energy and food markets into chaos and drives runaway inflation across the globe, it is also hitting the tourism industry in some countries harder than others. According to Euromonitor International, global inbound tourism will lose $6.9 billion in 2022 because of the collapse in Russian and Ukrainian travel. A handful of Middle Eastern countries could feel the pain most acutely. Egypt, Turkey, and more recently the UAE are the three most popular destinations for Ukrainian and Russian tourists. Tourism sectors in Egypt and Turkey are already noticing the fallout, and analysts are forecasting painful losses down the road. Before the pandemic, Ukrainian trips to Egypt jumped 49% in 2019 compared with the previous year, according to a 2020 Colliers International report, making Ukrainians the second largest market for the North African country after Germany. After Cairo resumed flights in July 2021 once Covid-19 restrictions eased, Ukrainians were the first tourists to return, said Deputy Tourism Minister Ghada Shalaby. In 2021, Moscow lifted a six-year ban on charter flights between Egypt and Russia that had been imposed after a deadly plane crash in 2015. Russian tourist numbers surged as a result, reaching 700,000 visitors in 2021 alone. Egypt's Tourism Ministry is now scrambling to draw in visitors from other countries. "It's a hard hit... but we're trying to survive," Shalaby said, adding that Egypt is finding ways to make up for the loss of Russian visitors by launching campaigns aimed at Western Europe and Arab countries for the upcoming season. Still, analysts are skeptical that Egypt can fill the gap on its own. "A dramatic replacement of tourists from these two countries is likely impossible," said Timothy Kaldas, a fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, adding that a range of problems that predated the war in Ukraine had already rattled Egypt's budget. "They already have a constellation of problems, and this war only makes them worse," he added. Turkey had hoped to lift its economy this year on the back of a recovering tourism industry, but the crisis in Ukraine and mounting sanctions against Russia threaten to wipe out the $34.5 billion the country expected to earn from tourism revenue this year. At the seaside resorts of Antalya on the Turkish Riviera, tourism workers are anxious about the falling number of visitors. "Russia is the most important market for us, and Ukraine also ranks third or fourth," said Ulkay Atmaca, president of the Professional Hotel Managers Association in Turkey. Some are hoping for a resolution to the conflict before the summer season, just in time to save the industry, but others are far less optimistic. "We're expecting a 60 to 65% drop in volume," said Nihal Duruk, sales and marketing manager at the Premier Palace hotel in Antalya. "Even if a solution is found today, we've already lost 50% of our expectations for the upcoming 2022 season," she added. More than 2 million Ukrainian tourists arrived in Turkey in 2021, according to tourism ministry figures, while another 4.7 million came from Russia. Bahattin Yucel, a former Turkish economy minister, sees the losses ahead climbing, since the economic crisis triggered by Western sanctions on Russia is expected to affect Turkish citizens too. "Both the war and the economic crisis in Russia will affect us," Yucel said. At the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, Russia became Dubai's second largest market in 2021, according to figures from the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). After the UAE began offering Russian travelers a free 30-day visa on arrival in 2018, tourist numbers shot up. The number of Russians traveling to Dubai and Abu Dhabi grew by more than 60% in the first eight months of that year. Before the war in Ukraine, ATM projected that the Russian market would top $1 billion for the UAE over the following four years. ATM declined to comment on whether the conflict would affect those projections. But the war, which may spell doom for some Middle Eastern sectors, could be a boon for others. Wealthy Russians looking for a financial safe haven are pouring money into real estate in Turkey and the UAE. Both Turkey and the United Arab Emirates offer incentives for residents who buy property. The hotel sector, however, does not see a quick recovery ahead. "No matter how fast this problem is solved, we'll be suffering the consequences of this crisis for at least three to four years," said Duruk, the hotelier in Antalya, Turkey. ## Other top Middle East news Turkish prosecutor seeks to halt trial of Saudi suspects in Khashoggi killing A Turkish prosecutor on Thursday asked a court to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudi suspects in the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and to hand the case over to Saudi authorities. - Background: Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. Turkish officials believe his body was dismembered and removed. His remains were never found. In September 2020, a Saudi court sentenced eight people to prison terms of between seven and 20 years for the killing, in a trial that critics called opaque. None of the defendants were named. - Why it matters: The move comes as Saudi Arabia and Turkey look to repair relations that soured sharply after the Khashoggi killing. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week that his recent talks with the Saudi foreign minister had been "very useful and focused" and would help normalize ties. UAE distances itself from anti-Iran rhetoric after Israel summit The UAE has distanced itself from the "discourse of confrontation and polarization" toward "our neighbor Iran," UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. He said this was part of an approach focused on building bridges and promoting stability, one in which "Iran is a key part." - Background: Gargash's statement came just days after a landmark meeting between several Arab foreign ministers and their Israeli and American counterparts, which Israel called a "new regional architecture" that would "intimidate Iran." Gargash said at a conference this week that the Middle East is not only about "Israel and Iran." - Why it matters: The warming of UAE relations with Israel has unfolded amid a perception in the Gulf states that Washington is not doing enough to address their security concerns. After meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was "determined to do everything possible to help you defend yourselves effectively" against terrorism and to consult on Iran. Tunisia's president issues decree dissolving parliament Tunisian President Kais Saied late on Wednesday issued a decree dissolving the parliament, which had been suspended since last year, after it defied him by holding an online session and voting to repeal the decrees he had used to seize near total power. Saied accused lawmakers of a failed coup and conspiracy against state security, and ordered an investigation into them. Saied ruled out early elections on Thursday. - Background: Saied's opponents accused him of a coup when he suspended parliament last summer, set aside most of the 2014 constitution, and began ruling by decree, reshaping the political system. Saied says his actions were constitutional and necessary to save Tunisia from years of political paralysis and economic stagnation at the hands of a corrupt, self-serving elite. - Why it matters: Any move to arrest members of parliament who took part in Wednesday's session, as Saied's threat of an investigation might imply, would mark a serious escalation in the standoff between Saied and his opponents. ## What to watch The six-month Expo 2020 Dubai wrapped up on March 31, closing out the largest global gathering of ideas, culture, and talent since the Covid-19 pandemic. Its legacy lives on, though, in the 140 startups selected to showcase their work through Expo Live. ![](/storage/image/prev/june-article-image-101-1-2025.jpg) ## Around the region Food inspectors are quietly sampling the delicacies served at some of Dubai's 20,000 restaurants. Unbeknownst to the chefs, these are Michelin inspectors compiling the Michelin Guide for Dubai, the first place in the Middle East to be included in the popular guides that rate establishments on their excellence. For now, the Michelin Guide covers 35 destinations around the world. Dubai will be its newest addition. Inspectors focus on five criteria when rating an establishment: the quality of the ingredients, the mastery of the cooking, the harmony of flavors, the chef's personality expressed through the cuisine, and consistency both over time and across the entire menu. The announcement that Dubai would be included was cause for major celebration among restaurateurs, including the founder of The MAINE New England Brasserie, Joey Ghazal, who runs three restaurants in Dubai and one in London. "Bringing Michelin to Dubai will change the dining landscape," he says, pointing to rising property rents, growth in hotel bookings, and the ability to attract and keep top culinary talent. The Lebanese-Canadian restaurateur says the guide could help cement Dubai as a serious culinary contender. "Look at it through the lens of regional cuisines... In this region we have a chance to spotlight our food, whether it's Levantine, pan-Arab, or Persian." ## Photo of the day Libyan authorities said on Thursday that they had received nine ancient artifacts returned by the United States after they were smuggled out of the North African country, including a marble "Veiled Head of a Lady," ancient urns, and pottery. Libya holds a wealth of archaeological treasures and sites, many of which were looted following the NATO-backed uprising of 2011 and the chaos that followed.