Most Russians support the ban on flights to Egypt - VCIOM

UFA, 23 November 2015. /Bashinform News Agency, Galiya Nabieva/. Russians consider the decision of the authorities to terminate the flights to Egypt as the right one; however, they think that it should be temporary. The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presented data of a survey of how the Russians reacted to the decision to ban flights.

The ban, introduced by the Ministry of Transport after the crash of the Russian aircraft over Sinai, is supported by three quarters of Russians (76%). More often than the average this position is shared by people of retirement age (84%) and residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (84%).

According to the survey, 12% of Russians have plans on vacations in this country (including 2% who want to go on a trip there in the next year), but even among this group of respondents the decision of the Russian authorities is approved by the majority (60%).

16% of all respondents do not agree with the ban. Among those who have been in Egypt, the share is 24%, and among planning to go to the Red Sea - 35%. According to the Federal Agency for Tourism, for the first half of 2015, Egypt became the fifth country in the ranking of Russian tourists attendance.

At the same time, according to the majority of citizens (74%), the ban should be temporary rather than permanent. Its cancellation is possible in the first place in case of the war completion in Syria, ISIS terrorists destruction (31%) and higher level of safety for tourists provision(30%).

The VCIOM initiative poll was conducted on November 14-15 2015. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 settlements of 46 regions, territories and republics of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.5%.