Troubles happen, and most offensively, they happen exactly when you are not waiting for them. For example, while resting.
And in order to find out what a tourist might face while staying in his or her own country, the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) studied the statistics of accidents that occurred with vacationers in 2019. So a short rating of the most dangerous countries for Russian tourists appeared.
3. Turkey
Despite the complicated relations between Russia and Turkey, Russians massively choose this tourist destination for cheapness and good service. In 2019, about 7 million tourists from Russia visited this country. But not all of them returned home, due to various accidents, 9 Russians were killed and 39 tourists were injured.
The most famous incident occurred with a 12-year-old Petersburger relaxing with her parents at the Sunhill Hotel. Her hand was pulled into the drainage pipe of the pool. The child, who spent almost 10 minutes under water, choked and died.
2. Thailand
The second place in the list of the most dangerous countries for Russians is occupied by the Asian destination, popular among Russians, which in 2019 was visited by 1.5 million people. 13 vacationers who came from Russia were killed there, and another 14 of our fellow citizens received various injuries.
1. Russia
In the country where Russian tourists most often die, you can end up without even leaving your apartment. The PCT explained this by the fact that a large number of our fellow citizens prefer to relax at home.
Over the past year, 44 tourists were killed in the Russian Federation, another 192 were injured.
Moreover, none of these three countries is among the most economically and politically unstable countries in the world, being more or less prosperous in these respects.
The most common causes of accidents with tourists
The laurels of the championship for the tragic incidents at the water element in 2019 intercepted the mountains. These are the PCT data that were at the disposal of Interfax-Tourism. In such cases as falling into an avalanche or rockfall, falling from rocks or into a gorge, frostbite, etc. account for 80% of all tragedies with Russian climbers, skiers and ordinary vacationers.
Second place is occupied by water incidents and traffic accidents.
The leader in the number of accidents related to water is Thailand (6 drowning out of 14 accidents). And no wonder, because the Russians love the beaches of the "land of smiles."
Six people drowned in Russia last year, four in Turkey.
- And to blame for their troubles are often vacationers themselves. Some ignore the ban on swimming in a particular place, others violate safety rules (for example, bathe in a storm). Jet ski collisions are also frequent.
- As for the accident, in Russia over the past year 9 people were killed and 119 injured in accidents involving tourist buses. On the roads of Thailand killed four Russians. In Turkey - two.
- There were also cases when drunk Russian tourists fell out of the balcony of their hotel room and crashed to death. Four such cases occurred in Thailand, one in Turkey.
For our fellow citizens who went on a carefree vacation, not only land and water, but also air attractions can be dangerous. So, in Turkey, two Russians lost their lives in flight: one fell with a paraglider, and the second - during parasailing.
For the first time, Azerbaijan got into the sad statistics of incidents with tourists from Russia. There, on a crowd of people in which there were two Russian travelers, the branches of a 500-year-old tree fell. Fortunately, people did not die, but were injured.
How to save life and health: useful tips for tourists traveling abroad
- The first and main advice - do not waste money on health insurance. Many people believe that they do not need such a service, and this error costs a considerable amount. For the simple reason that anything can happen on a trip - from a common allergy and poisoning to an accident. And medical care abroad is expensive.
- Get appropriate vaccinations before traveling to another country. Ask your doctor about precautions to take before you travel. Even if immunization is expensive, it is best to do it to protect yourself.
- Gather a small medicine cabinet that should contain a stock of non-prescription painkillers, antihistamines, bandages, and any medications prescribed for you. Always carry a first aid kit with you, even if you are going to bask all day on the beach.
- Remember that prohibiting signs on mountain trails, waterfalls, beaches and other tourist routes are not just like that. Do not ignore these warnings. And if you are going to travel in the mountains, buy trekking shoes with non-slip tread.
- If you are going to ride a catamaran, jet ski, boat or other water transport, be sure to rent or buy a life jacket. Do not bounce or swing the floating vehicle and hold on tight.
- If you have drunk, even “on the bottom”, do not go swimming on the beach or even in the pool, do not attend rides, and do not engage in any activity that is fraught with injuries. Remember: alcohol and carelessness are the main enemies of tourist health.
