The Russian travel sector is experiencing a notable rebound, particularly in travel to Europe, following a significant decline during the early years of the war. According to data from the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russian citizens’ trips to European Union countries dropped by 26% in the first two years of the conflict, falling to 1.73 million. However, with the stabilisation of Schengen visa issuance and growing disposable incomes, demand for travel has surged.
Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, mentioned that 449,000 Schengen visas were issued to Russians for tourism in 2024, with 17 out of 29 Schengen-zone countries granting them access. This visa availability has played a significant role in the resurgence of travel, contributing to a total of 1.4 million trips made to EU countries for tourism purposes in 2024. A significant portion of this travel—800,000 trips—occurred overland via countries like Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania, while 600,000 flights were booked via connecting countries.
Italy and France remain popular destinations for Russian travellers, with summer hotel bookings in these countries increasing by 35% and 12%, respectively. Despite challenges, the cost and inconvenience of visiting Europe have not deterred many Russians, who have also become more adventurous in their holiday choices. As a result, popular destinations have expanded beyond Europe, with places such as Thailand, Mexico, and Japan seeing considerable growth in visitors from Russia.
For instance, Russian trips to Japan saw a dramatic 2.3-fold increase in 2024, with other emerging favourites like Thailand (1.32 million visits) and Armenia (967,700 visits) also attracting attention. Turkey remains the most significant destination, accounting for nearly 40% of outbound Russian tourism, with 6.2 million trips made there in 2024.
On the domestic front, Russian tourism has benefitted from the departure of Western carriers, with Aeroflot stepping into the void. Aeroflot reported a 2% year-on-year increase in passengers in January 2024, carrying 3.9 million people. With the airline filling the gap left by competitors, its domestic flight load factor rose to 88.6%, while international flights stood at 82.8%.
The Russian tourism industry has also been boosted by substantial government investment, with private and public investments in tourism reaching 652 billion rubles ($6.8 billion) by the end of September 2024, a 44% increase from the previous year. This includes programs to support the construction of modular hotels, which have contributed significantly to the growth of the domestic tourism market.
Looking forward, the Russian tourism sector appears poised for continued growth, both in domestic travel and international destinations, particularly as the country expands its travel options to new and diverse locations. The ongoing investment in tourism infrastructure and support for the hospitality sector under Putin’s National Projects has further solidified the industry’s recovery.
