OREANDA-NEWS Russian tour operators have taken out all their foreign tourists who were in Russia after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict on February 28, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported on Tuesday.

"At the time of the outbreak of the conflict, there were a small number of tourists from the Middle East from the tour operators Intourist, FUN&SUN and Space Travel in Russia. All of them returned home safely, as flights to the Persian Gulf countries began to recover. In late February and early March, the flow of arrivals is traditionally low, as the high season for inbound tourism begins in May," the report says.

According to tour operators, several dozen tourists from Southeast Asian countries also arrived in Russia through Middle Eastern airports before February 28.

"At the time of the outbreak of the conflict, organized delegations from Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong were in Russia. There were several groups of such guests who traveled along pre-approved routes. The situation turned out quite well for them. None of the tourists actually got stuck, all groups completed their programs and left the country either according to plan or with minimal logistical adjustments. There was no talk of any evacuation or emergency removal," the Intourist press service said.

One group from Malaysia had to return via Beijing instead of Dubai, Intourist clarified.