The demand of foreign tourists for trips in Russia has grown to 44%

The demand of foreign tourists for trips in Russia has grown to 44%. On March 24, Izvestia was informed by analysts of the online hotel and apartment booking service Ostrovok, who conducted a study on the results of trips in 2025.

According to him, in general, the inbound tourist flow to Russia increased by 10% last year compared to 2024. Increasingly, our country is winning competition from European destinations: foreign tourists feel more secure when traveling around the country and are actively expanding their travel geography.

The top most active foreign tourists in Russia in 2025 included travelers from China, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and India. According to Ostrovok, the demand from tourists from India increased the most — by 44%, as well as from China — by 29%, Saudi Arabia — by 28% and Turkey — by 23%.

"We see that the growth of inbound demand is systemic. It was influenced by several factors at once: the expansion of the transport network — in particular, a significant increase in flights to China — as well as the visa-free regime. An important driver of the incoming tourist flow in the future may be the lifting of visa restrictions with Saudi Arabia. This will allow us to actively develop the premium segment of travel in Russia, which traditionally includes some travelers from the kingdom," Daria Kochetkova, Managing Director of Ostrovok, told Izvestia.

According to her, a sense of safety and a comfortable environment is of great importance for foreign tourists.

"In this sense, Russia is perceived as a friendlier destination than European countries. For example, in the culture of many Middle Eastern countries, it is customary to wear jewelry and jewelry even during everyday walks, and guests note that in Russia they can afford it without fear," said Mohamad Atrash, CEO of Premium Galaxy travel company.

He also stressed that in Russia, the national and religious clothes of foreign tourists are treated with great respect.

"We see a steady interest in northern and natural destinations. For example, Murmansk actively attracts visitors not only from China, but also from countries with a warm climate — Thailand and Indonesia. In the future, we expect an increase in interest in Altai, Tyumen, Chechnya and Dagestan," said Lyudmila Galaktionova, Sales Director of Cosmos Hotel Group.

According to Ostrovok, the average check of foreign tourists significantly exceeds the expenses of Russian travelers. Guests from the Middle East, mainly from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, pay an average of 14,500 rubles per night in Russian hotels and apartments, which is 2.4 times higher than Russians — 6 thousand rubles. The average expenses of tourists from China are also higher than Russian ones and amount to 7,600 rubles per night.

On February 20, S-club experts reported that for a profitable trip across Russia, you should choose northern destinations in winter, the Golden Ring cities in spring, the Baltic Sea and food tours in the south of the country in summer, and cultural routes in autumn. To minimize costs, experts advised to be flexible and monitor airline and railway stocks.

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