Explainer: How Russia’s Tourism Partnership Developing With Africa -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

The Expert Council on Africa at Russia’s State Duma, the Lower Chamber of Parliamentarians, has outlined a strategic roadmap to raise collaboration in the sphere of tourism, emphasizing the necessity to address policy inconsistencies that have dominated Russian-African relations since the Soviet collapse. At the roundtable conference – “Tourism Development and Sociocultural Cooperation with African Countries” – held on November 20, 2025, and with African diplomats, legislators, academic researchers and experts, discussions focused on adopting new flexible measures into a model partnership that can inspire collaboration across the African continent, promote economic and cultural relations between potential African partners and Russian entrepreneurs.

First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development, Nikolai Valuev, spoke about the prospects for African tourism, noting that Russia fully covers the potential risks for its citizens traveling abroad legally, including through tourism assistance. There have been no serious incidents related to African countries.

According to the data presented at the meeting, modern tourism is becoming a soft power tool for shaping positive images and knowledge about the territories and people living there, their cultural heritage, and their way of life.

Today, the geopolitical situation is narrowing the range of options available to Russians for international travel. Meanwhile, in Africa, the resorts of Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco remain traditionally popular with Russians. Sub-Saharan Africa has fewer options and lacks developed destinations, which is inconsistent with the objectives of cooperation in this area.

“Russian tourists love to travel and seek new experiences. Russians are interested in exploring new routes. African countries are no exception. The African continent is the second largest after Eurasia. It boasts a vast expanse of warm seas and a vast number of countries with significant cultural heritage and rich histories. But we always believe this should be a two-way street. We welcome tourists from African countries to Russia. The current tourist flow is unimpressive. Africa is the most dynamically developing continent in the world. Both the economically active population and the middle class are growing most rapidly here,” said Nikolai Novichkov, member of the Committee for the Development of the Far East and Arctic.

Guided by longstanding commitment to building new scope of relations, majority of the speakers asked state officials to discard their Soviet-style approach to Africa, remodel strategies in leveraging into the tourism sphere to enhance people-to-people interaction as basis for changing social attitudes and perceptions. The best practices—particularly from both sides—to engage in mutual dialogue, to establish mutual understanding and the need to raise trade, investment, and innovation.

The other significant questions were on creating favorable conditions for increasing tourist flow, including visa-free travel, payment systems, insurance, and legislative support for outbound tourism. Participants also discussed the development of transport infrastructure, prospects for launching charter programs and scheduled flights, ensuring tourist safety, and stimulating tourism from African countries to Russia.

A strategic platform for breakthrough and could become a catalyst for systemic change includes the ff: on attracting investment in infrastructure, including the construction and modernization of hotels, logistics development, and security.

With the goal of comprehensively developing cooperation in tourism, the Expert Council considered the following issues:
— visa-free travel regimes, the organization of payment systems, insurance, and legislative support for these destinations;
— development of transportation options for tourists, prospects for developing charter flights and launching regular flights;
— organization of ground services for tourists and the safety of Russian vacationers;
— development of the event and cruise segments of the tourism cluster;
— stimulation of tourist flow to Russia from African countries.

Following the meeting, a resolution was drafted. Its proposals for supporting cooperation with African countries in the areas of tourism and socio-cultural collaboration will be submitted to the Government of the Russian Federation.

Given extensive research and studies, particularly in the bilateral tourism sphere, Russia is currently preparing to expand visa-free travel and direct flights: Africa is opening up to tourists. Russians are being invited to explore new destinations on the “Dark Continent,” and travel there could become significantly easier in the coming years. At the State Duma roundtable discussion on the developing tourism and cooperation with African countries, experts and government officials announced that Moscow intends to expand visa-free travel and increase the number of direct flights. The first significant changes are expected as early as January 2026.

Undoubtedly, Africa remains one of the most attractive travel regions—its warm climate, exotic nature, and unique safaris continue to attract Russian tourists. According to representatives of the State Duma Tourism Committee, the continent boasts natural resources and landscapes that would be the envy of developed countries. Ecotourism, fishing, and hunting are considered the most promising areas for Russians.

At the same time, State Duma deputies noted the importance of developing the reverse flow of travel: more and more African countries are viewing Russia as an attractive tourist destination. Egypt, Tanzania, and Ethiopia are particularly interested in cooperation. These countries are discussing the possibility of adding them to the list of countries whose citizens will be eligible for electronic visas for traveling to Russia. The Ministry of Economic Development believes that such a measure could significantly boost bilateral tourism.

Currently, Russians can travel visa-free to 11 African countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, the Seychelles, and Namibia. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that this list will be expanded, and Russia is simultaneously preparing new tourism agreements. The ministry expects to sign them in the near future, which will create additional conditions for increasing tourism exchange.

The roundtable participants paid special attention to the development of direct air links. Direct flights are currently available to Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, and the Seychelles. By 2026, the number of flights between Casablanca and Moscow is expected to increase to seven per week, with new destinations also expected. A Moroccan airline plans to launch direct flights from Casablanca to St. Petersburg. According to Rosaviatsiya, Egypt remains the leader in air travel: over a hundred flights per week operate between the two countries, and routes to new resorts, including Alexandria, may soon open.

However, the development of the flight program is still hampered by sanctions, difficulties with refueling aircraft, and a shortage of wide-body aircraft used on Far Eastern and Asian routes. Furthermore, airport services in several African countries work with entities from unfriendly states, which sometimes complicates obtaining permits and servicing aircraft.

Director of the Department of Partnership with Africa at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tatyana Dovgalenko, touched on institutional ties, as well as the exchange of information on security and medical services. But, in order to take cooperation to the next level, familiarization tours are being organized for representatives of Russian tourism companies. In particular, such a tour was organized to Tanzania in August 2025. Naturally, like any potentially promising destination, there are systemic issues that need to be addressed to promote tourism. The introduction of a visa-free regime with most African countries would be helpful. Currently, there are only eleven. However, work continues with other countries and this list would soon be expanded, according to Dovgalenko.

In addition to representatives of the Federal Air Transport Agency, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, the Hotel Industry and Airlines, the roundtable conference held under Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Alexander Babakov, also brought members of parliament, representatives of ministries, agencies, and the expert community to develop concrete steps to increase tourism, which was organized by the Expert Council on the Development and Support of Comprehensive Partnerships with African Countries.