Russian tourists and wealthy “come in large numbers” were named the main reason why the UAE doubled the import of one luxury drink. We are talking about French champagne. The UAE imported 75% more premium champagne in 2022, according to Caterer. And they attribute this to the fact that in the same year there was a boom in inbound trips from Russia.
“The UAE is importing more and more French champagne, which coincided with an increase in the number of rich Russians coming to the country,” he assures edition. The volumes, I must say, are impressive – they “sucked out” almost 1.9 million bottles.
Russians are also mentioned by French manufacturers. “The Russian presence may have boosted sales in places like the Gulf region,” said David Châtillon, co-chair of L'Union des Maisons de Champagne. By the way, he noted that last year as a whole, global champagne shipments rose to 326 million bottles, up 1.6%, thanks in part to a stronger tourism market – according to him, champagne was a logical choice for users who “rejoiced at the end of self-isolation and rediscovered a taste for parties, festivities and travel.”
As for Russian tourists, in 2022, Russia was the fifth largest tourist market in Dubai. 758 thousand travelers arrived from there, which is 70% more than in 2021. At the same time, in January 2023, 115 thousand Russians were already counted, the increase was 63%, and only India “surpassed” ours with a result of 186 tourists. It is not surprising that the upscale hotels of the emirate are actively looking for Russian-speaking staff who can understand what kind of champagne a Russian tourist orders.
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