How Eastern tourism was decimated by the Ukraine invasion

Julie, a regular traveller

Julie, a regular traveller, had planned to spend her weekends in Warsaw sightseeing, meandering around the city's parks, and devouring pierogi.

But by the time the first trip - June 2022 - got around, the folks around her weren't so sure she should be travelling. "Warsaw is quite near to Ukraine, aren't you worried?" my mother and a couple of friends asked her. She was not. She states, "I had no hesitation." After four visits to Warsaw in six weeks, Julie (who opted not to use her full name) has fallen in love with the city.

Beautifully restored Old Town

She describes it as "fascinating," adding, "it has so much history." "The Old Town was beautifully restored following World War II. It's a wonderful area to visit, thanks to its beautiful parks, pleasant weather, and friendly locals. The reason I'm returning tomorrow is because I don't believe there are any valid reasons to be concerned."

Poland and Ukraine

Sadly, not all potential tourists share her sentiments. Pictures of refugees crossing the border aren't the only thing bringing Poland and Ukraine closer together in people's minds. The impact on Poland's tourism economy has been severe. Even in March, European airline Jet2 cancelled flights to Poland. Summer vacationers will have to wait until September to see them again.

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Eastern Europe

Across Eastern Europe, this is a growing tendency. According to a tour operator in Europe that organises bachelorette parties, bookings to Krakow have dropped 60% for the summer of 2022. The inventor, Matt Mavir, believes that the invasion started because people heard about explosions along the border and now have that image in their heads. "That, on the other hand, is a non-starter. You wouldn't have to worry about travelling to Poland if Russia started bombing NATO countries."

Drinking beer and wearing similar t-shirts

"You're drinking beer and wearing similar t-shirts while someone has lost their home," he said. "It's a strange combination." Brit Nicola Trup, who recently returned from a trip to Warsaw with her family, believes that the picture of tourists and refugees frolicking in the streets is simply not accurate. "There were fewer international tourists than normal, and I heard a lot more Ukrainian," said one visitor. If you don't speak Polish or Ukrainian, you wouldn't be able to know, as she points out.

Bookings to Budapest, Hungary, and Riga, Latvia

There are more countries as well. Bookings to Budapest, Hungary, and Riga, Latvia, have dropped by 45 percent and 39 percent, respectively, according to Last Night of Freedom. The first six months of 2022 had a 37% decrease in visitors to Hungary compared to the same period in 2019. Americans have lost 65 percent of their population. And it aims to see a 10% drop in the year's figures by year's end.

Slovakian tourist board

According to data from the Slovakian tourist board for January to May, the number of international visitors to the country's western Ukraine border region fell by 49% from 2019. "It's hard to determine how many people stayed away because of the virus and how many people are concerned about the war in Ukraine," a representative said. Capital Vienna is an hour away, and Kiev is 16 hours away, from Bratislava, which is located on the Austrian border. However, the common boundary is deterrent enough.

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Liina Maria Lepik

Even countries that don't share a border with Ukraine are affected by the crisis. Estonian Tourist Board director Liina Maria Lepik says that half of the 350 cruise ships scheduled to visit Tallinn in 2022 have been cancelled "because of the war"—because they can no longer stop at the Baltic's premier cruise destination St. Petersburg, which has been devastated by Russia's invasion of Crimea.

Jacek Legendziewicz

"Visitor numbers have been gradually improving every month," according to a Polish tourism official. This is the year Jacek Legendziewicz had hoped that his Krakow-based hospitality business would be able to rebound from the pandemic in 2022. After that, they lost 80% of their group bookings in just three days. Tourism in Poland fell by 25 percent between February and May 2022, although the United States enjoyed a 20 percent rise. By abolishing masks, isolation and quarantine laws in March "Poland's Tourist Board recommends that it be taken into consideration."

"Revenge travel"

"Revenge travel" movement is seeing people book bucket list trips. Intrepid Travel's bestselling trips this year are a Danube cycle tour and Best of Central Europe. Poland and Romania have seen an irrefutable drop related to the invasion, says Tom Smith. By visiting these countries, you are supporting their efforts to help the country's people recover from the crisis by helping them to support tourism and refugees.