The five main trends of the Russian tourism market in early 2025 have been named

The Russian tourist market is experiencing an increase in the duration of travelers' vacations, as well as an increase in the popularity of apartments and the growing demand for advance planning of trips, follows from the data of the online hotel and apartment booking service "Ostrovok", which were reviewed by "Izvestia" on February 3. Experts have singled out the top-5 trends in early 2025.

The first stable trend is the expansion of the geography of independent travel of Russians. Thus, despite the remoteness of these regions and the high cost of flights, the popularity of accommodation bookings in Kamchatka, Baikal, Sakhalin and Murmansk region has increased significantly. Over the year, domestic tourist demand for these destinations increased by about 20%.

In addition, there is an increase in demand for advance travel planning. In 2024, the number of bookings in accommodation facilities made two or more months before arrival increased by 20% compared to 2023. Specialists noted that the trend remains relevant in 2025: the number of reservations for the year, made five months or more, increased by 10% relative to last year. Tourists plan their vacations well in advance to find better deals.

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The third trend is the growing popularity of apartments. In 2024, such properties accounted for 27% of all bookings in the country. The share of apartments in the first half of January 2025 exceeded 31% of total bookings.

As experts explained, the advantage of apartments is the possibility to accommodate a whole family or a large company: the area of apartments is often larger than hotel rooms. Also plays a role the presence of a kitchen, which allows you to organize your own meals. At the same time the cost of accommodation in apartments is sometimes cheaper than booking several rooms. In addition, there is a shortage of classified accommodation: in cases where it is difficult to find a hotel, you can book an apartment in almost any region.

In addition, the service recorded an increase in the duration of travelers' vacations in Russia. In 2024, the number of bookings with a duration of three weeks and more increased by 12% compared to the previous year, and for a period of two to three weeks - by almost 20%. One of the reasons, according to Ostrovok experts, is the spread of hybrid and remote employment formats. Tourists combine work and vacation. For 2025, the trend continues to strengthen: there is an increase in demand for vacations lasting four weeks by 10% relative to 2024.

The fifth trend is related to the return of foreign tourists to Russia. The most popular vacation in Russia is for tourists from China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The service believes that in 2025 the volume of inbound tourism will continue to grow. Among other things, this is facilitated by the increase in the validity and multiplicity of Russian electronic visas for foreign tourists, as well as expanding the geography and increasing the number of flights to the Middle East, in particular, the launch of direct flights to Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, on January 14, it was reported that more tourists are planning to travel around the country in February. This follows from the data of OneTwoTrip. Thus, the share of hotel bookings in Russia for the year increased by 8% and is 43%. Moscow, Esto-Sadok, St. Petersburg became the most popular cities for tourists.