Citizens of a number of African states can now fly to Moscow visa-free, while Russian tourist figures on the continent are also on the rise

Tourism from African countries to Russia has surged by nearly 60% over the past two years, the deputy director general of the Center for Strategic Research (CSR), Yulia Maksutova, has stated.

Speaking to Izvestia in Moscow on Friday, she highlighted a rising demand for travel, fueled by expanding business and educational exchanges. She added that flight connections between Russia and Africa are expanding, with direct routes to Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, the Seychelles, and Ethiopia. 

Currently, 143 flights depart from Russia to these destinations each week, 128 of which are to Egypt. The return traffic includes 144 flights, with the same majority coming from Egypt.

"Citizens of Botswana, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Namibia, Tunisia, South Africa, and the Seychelles already have a visa-free entry regime to Russia," the expert noted.

She stressed that while the number of tourists from African countries has grown by nearly 60% over the past two years, the overall figures remain relatively low, with only about 37,000 trips recorded annually. At present, African visitors make up less than 1% of Russia's total inbound tourism. However, Maksutova noted that initiatives such as the formation of a Russian-African working group on tourism in the Central African Republic (AR) could help boost mutual travel.

"Residents of the African continent primarily travel to Russia for business, personal, work, or study purposes, as well as for individual tours across the country. With proper joint efforts from both the government and businesses, a foundation can be laid for increasing traditional tourist flows," said Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), as quoted by the CSR's press service.

In December, the Russian embassy in Kenya announced that Moscow had expanded its single-entry e-visa program to include Kenya, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order on December 5 updating the policy, adding 11 new countries, including three African states. With these additions, a total of 64 nations are now eligible for Russia's e-visa scheme.

In turn, Russian citizens enjoy visa-free entry to Tunisia and Morocco. In Angola, Russians can stay for up to 90 days, while in Mozambique and Malawi, the limit is 30 days. In Sao Tome and Principe, Russian visitors are allowed up to 15 days.

The number of Russian travelers to Africa has risen significantly, despite the continent being a more expensive destination, Anatoly Bashkin, director of the Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia in January.

He attributed the surge to Africa's unique culture, diverse natural beauty, and the coexistence of modernity with deep-rooted traditions, making it one of the world's most fascinating travel destinations.

READ MORE: Russia-Africa cooperation has huge potential - Lavrov

Last February, the Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Aeroflot, Russia's flag carrier, had resumed flights to Mauritius in 2023. The department identified these countries, along with Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, as being the most popular sub-Saharan African destinations for Russian tourists.