Russia: Kremlin travel ban to Turkey and Egypt forces tourists toward Israel, UAE and Crimea

The Kremlin's banning of package holidays to Turkey in the wake of Ankara's downing of a Russian fighter jet has forced Russians to look elsewhere to take their breaks.

A presidential decree has stopped Russian tour operators selling trips to Turkey, ended charter flights between the countries, and will restrict Turkish imports. Visa-free travel to Russia for Turkish citizens will also be scrapped in the New Year.

The decree, posted on the Kremlin's website, said that the ban was to ensure "Russia's national security and protect Russian citizens from criminal and other illegal activities."

Flights from Russia to Egypt have also been suspended after 224 people were killed when a Metrojet plane crashed in the Sinai desert last month, reportedly downed by Islamic State (Isis) linked militants, leaving Russian travel agencies trying to find new destinations for holidaymakers.

Israeli Tourism Ministry spokesman Michal Gerstler said it is investing $2.6m (£1.7m, €2.45m) on a campaign to woo visitors "in an attempt to create an alternative" for people looking for a sunny holiday.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Vorobyov, president of one of Russia's largest travel companies, Natalie Tours, told the Wall Street Journal that following the Sinai crash, half of the 100,000 vacation packages to Egypt had been re-booked for the United Arab Emirates with around 30% changing plans for Thailand or Europe.

However, the Turkey news would have less of an impact because it was not quite as warm there in winter and there were only around 5,000 bookings. The head of Russia's Federal Tourism Agency, Oleg Safonov, said that the numbers of Russians holidaying abroad will fall 40% next year.

Russian officials are urging people to holiday in Russia and in Crimea which it annexed from Ukraine last year, but some are not convinced and believe that hotels and service in the Black Sea peninsula are not up to standard. Crimea is largely without electricity at the moment after Ukrainian activists downed power lines that supply the disputed region.

The spat with Turkey continues as Russia prevented 1,250 trucks carrying exports from crossing its border. Vladimir Putin wants an apology from Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan before he holds talks with him on the sidelines of the global COP21 climate summit in Paris.