The tour expert named unusual destinations that are gaining popularity among Russians

Maxim Shilov, Director of the MITT International Exhibition of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry, named on Thursday, February 5, unusual foreign destinations that are gaining popularity among Russians in 2026.

The expert noted that now, along with the traditionally popular destinations, new points of attraction have begun to form, and tourists themselves are increasingly choosing more complex, rich and combined travel formats, and these changes will form the basis of demand in 2026.

According to Shilov, the status of one of the key outbound tourism destinations in 2026 will be secured for China.

"Hainan Island, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Guilin, Zhangjiajie remain popular, but at the same time interest in regions that were previously little—known to Russian tourists is growing," the expert shared in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

He added that the cultural and historical centers of Chengdu, Xi'an, Luoyang, Suzhou, as well as the non—mass beach resorts of Qingdao, Dalian and Beidaihe are of increasing interest, while Xinjiang and Heilongjiang Province are becoming promising for lovers of outdoor activities and winter sports.

He noted that Oman is steadily gaining ground among the areas of sustainable growth this year.

"The fundamental difference between Oman and classic beach destinations is the nature of the tourist product. An increasing share of the demand is generated by experience—oriented programs: mountain and desert routes, historical cities, national parks, active and expedition tourism," he said.

In addition, Shilov noted that Egypt has the potential for significant additional growth in 2026, but a noticeable transformation is taking place within the direction.

Another important vector in 2026 is the growing interest in the countries of eastern and southern Africa, the expert added.

On this day, Dmitry Arutyunov, CEO of Art-Tour, told NSN that it is best to fly to Eilat from mid-March to May.

In turn, Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, during a visit to Brazil, said that the growth of mutual tourism between Russia and Brazil directly depends on the launch of direct flights, but breakthrough solutions in this area should not be expected in the near future, RT reports.

On January 26, Aleksan Mkrtchyan, Vice President of the Alliance of Travel Agencies of Russia (ATA), explained the growing interest of Russians in winter holidays in Africa. It was noted that Russians' tourist interest in the Arab part of the continent includes Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya, while Cairo occupies the undisputed leadership.

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