comment: >
  
  Who wants to go to a country with a fake, BS legal system.
context: I'm surprised 10% still went to Russia. >
  
  I think it likely that a vast majority of those 10% were during the almost two months of 2022 prior to the invasion. >
  
  Would this 10% primarily be tourists from "friendly to Russia" countries such as Eritrea, Iran, Venezuela, etc? >
  
  Couldn't tell ya.
  Plenty of people have been to Russia, and I'm sure many more would be willing to visit a country with a bad rep in the West, than a country maintaining an outright invasion. 
  I'd assume that, before the invasion, the proportion of Russia-"friendly" and Russia-"non-friendly" tourists would be the same as it has always been. After the invasion, I'd go out on a limb and guess that "friendlies" became a greater majority. >
  
  I don't know. Obviously it's anecdotal and I'm sure Russia is not all like that, but my only direct knowledge of tourism to Russia is that of my best friend's dad in the early 2000s.
  Basically he landed, got a taxi, and like 10 minutes later a guy at the traffic light with a gun mugged him and got all of his belongings, including his passport.
  Basically his holiday was: land - 10 minutes taxi ride - - gun to the head - 30 more minutes to the embassy to get help - fly back the next day.
  I might be wrong but that immediately put Russia at the bottom of my wish list. >
  
  Traveled through about a decade ago — got robbed on the street and by Russian officials at a small airport who meticulously went through our belongings, taking anything they deemed “culturally significant” and threatening us with arrest for having bought mittens from a Russian vendor at a Russian Christmas market. Constantly followed by “taxis” trying to get us into their unmarked vehicles.. y’know, to give us a super special Americans-only discount guided tour, not to traffic us or use us as collateral or anything. 
  I will not be returning. Can’t wait to visit a victorious Ukraine, though! >
  
  
  not to traffic us or use us as collateral or anything.
  
  Yes definitely not, if you genuinely believe that's what some random Russian pirate taxis wanted from you in ~2010 you need to see a shrink about your paranoia. TBH even the being robbed by Russian officials on the street part sounds like complete BS. >
  
  Ooh someone’s fussy >
  
  Wouldn't say I fit anything here, if you mean the first definition I'm not irrated, I'm just calling out complete BS when I see it. >
  
  Cool! >
  
  The reports that Wagner group is trying to coerce African exchange students into fighting for Putin in Ukraine. Russia's already demonstrated a willingness to incarcerate American citizens and use them as political pawns. You'd have to be an idiot to travel over there now, especially if you are citizen of the United States or any other NATO member country.
  The world is a big place with a ton of other countries to visit, full of governments and people that would welcome your money and treat you with at least some level of respect. Go where you will be treated best. >
  
  This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 59%. (I'm a bot)
  
  
  The number of foreigners visiting Russia as part of an organized tour plummeted by more than 90% during 2022 as the country's international isolation over its invasion of Ukraine kept most travelers away, the Kommersant business daily reported on Tuesday.
  Sergei Romashkin, the head of Russian tour operator Delfin, which estimated the 90% drop in organized tour arrivals, said that the industry is hampered by Russia's negative image, the ban on the use of Visa and Mastercard in the country, as well as Russia's own restrictive visa regime.
  Many tour operators have shifted from inbound tourism to organizing domestic tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to Kommersant.
  
  
  Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: Russia^#1 tour^#2 organized^#3 tourism^#4 industry^#5 >
  
  Lol domestic tours. I read fluent Russian and their memes about “internal tourism” are hilarious. Basically it’s orders of magnitude cheaper to fly to an Egyptian all-inclusive beach resort than to get trapped on some mildly radioactive tour bus limping its way through Russia’s “Golden Circle” of decrepit monasteries with zero amenities. >
  
  Tell me more about the Egyptian resorts. >
  
  Sharm el Sheikh. They also go to Turkish beaches often. They used to also go to Cancun + Punta Cana, but airspace restrictions quickly killed that. >
  
  What about their "Buy one week, get 12 years free" deal? >
  
  Guaranteed weight loss program >
  
  My wife and I had visited Vladivostok when we were in the Navy and were planning on going back when we revisited the West-Pac as civilians.  
  But I wouldn't go to Russian now if you paid me.  
  No interest in supporting them, and honestly had  pretty low interest in going back the more I read. >
  
  Why would one go to Vladivostok willingly? >
  
  What's wrong with it? >
  
  What a shock! >
  
  Said nobody, except maybe Putin >
  
  Why no come to great Russia? >
  
  Not sure. Something about the food >
  
  all those people failing from windows... strong winds not good for vacations >
  
  Yeah because they like to throw people in jail to use as a bargaining chip >
  
  All expenses paid foreign adventure vacations were up 1000% though. See exotic lands, get shot at by exciting NATO weapons! Free washing machines for those who survive*!  
  *please note, so far the survival rate is less than survivable. But they are. Ery good washing machines... >
  
  Slightly off topic, but I feel like the 1:3 ratio is not achievable by Russia, considering logistics and how complicated heliborne medevac gets when the airspace is contested. >
  
  The don't evacuate their wounded ones. >
  
  I know someone that has run tours there for the last decade and he had to close shop.
  He's surprised that his staff turned from very positive relationships into quite hostile ones. He is German and it was very much about his nationality. >
  
  I'm surprised organized tourism to Russia didn't drop higher than 90%, although I suspect a big chunk of the numbers were pre-invasion.
  Bottom line is, a country which is at war faces a lot of internal insecurity and issues. You wouldn't want to be trapped there if they decide to close borders, or if riots break out, or your country is placed on Putin's unfriend list. Nobody wants to be the next Griner. Heck, even something as simple as the inability to fill your prescription medicine might ruin your holiday. >
  
  It was travel as normal in January and until 23. February. That's the 10%. >
  
  Is it?   If I was visiting russia as a tourist that is NOT the 1.75 months that I would pick to do it. >
  
  Why tho? Who wouldn't want to visit despite the ~~almost certain~~ minor risk of being imprisoned/conscripted/thrown out a window/stabbed by insane vatniks? 
  Those are minor quibbles compared to the experience of vising ~~decaying Soviet era apartment blocks~~ beautiful historical sites and shopping in ~~backstreet krokodil dens~~ ultra high-end shopping malls selling ~~the shit AliExpress merchants needed to get rid of~~ all the luxuries of the world. >
  
  Real talk, Russia has massive tourism potential, but Russian leadership is hostile to its development (even before the war/Crimea) . >
  
  Russia just has potential in general, they just keep having absolute lunatics in charge. >
  
  It's really such a tragic country. So much squandered potential. >
  
  I've said it here multiple times, Russian history is basically a long series of: "Here are tons of okay to great options and one really shitty one." 
  And even when basically everyone is giving them the cheat codes and walkthrough and the full consequences of that shitty option, they always seem to pick it. >
  
  I don’t think it’s ever been that simple for Russia or any country with corrupt leadership. >
  
  It isn't, but even corrupt leadership often recognizes when they need to grant a little give. 
  Russia doesn't seem to get that ever. They go from one series of corrupt, awful, evil pricks to another. >
  
  I wanted to visit one day. Might never happen now >
  
  I too want to try Trans Siberian Railway. But nope... Not gonna happened. >
  
  My grandfather was sent to help protect the Trans-Siberian railway by president Wilson, and so I had even more reason to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway. I guess I'll have to wait for Putin die first though... >
  
  What is "unorganized tourism"? >
  
  People traveling by themselves, and not part of something like a tourgroup >
  
  I didn’t know people did that. Wouldn’t you get lost >
  
  I thought that’s how most people did it. I’m sure you could get lost, but with a phone in the modern day, it’s hard to get in real trouble (unless you visit a warmongering nation). I think it’s more fun planning and exploring for yourself >
  
  they put britney griner in prison over stupid shit when the war broke out, how would it be different for us