Tourists from China and India have increased the demand for trips to Russia

In the first quarter of 2026, inbound tourism to Russia showed steady growth: foreign citizens made 293.2 thousand tourist visits, which is 28.1% more than in the same period last year. At the same time, the cost of trips to Russia for foreign tourists increased by an average of 35%. This was reported on May 13 by the Delovoy Peterburg newspaper.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), the main contribution to the increase in tourist flow was provided by tourists from China, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia and India.

The press service of the Intourist company explained that the main reason for the increase in the cost of tours in dollar terms was the strengthening of the ruble. An additional impact was caused by a reduction in international air travel amid the Middle East crisis, which led to an increase in the cost of air tickets. In some areas, the cost of trips to Russia increased to 35% in annual terms.

ATOR noted that March turned out to be a difficult month for the industry due to the crisis situation in the Middle East. However, high demand in January and February made it possible to offset the decline in air traffic and end the quarter with double-digit growth rates.

China remains the leader in the number of tourist visits.: 154.2 thousand Chinese tourists came to Russia, which is 44.4% more than a year earlier. Turkmenistan took the second place with 20.5 thousand visits (+120.7%), and Turkey took the third place with 16.8 thousand trips (+28.1%).

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According to Intourist, tourists from China also come to St. Petersburg most often. In addition, there is a growing interest from guests from Vietnam and Turkey.

The expansion of the visa-free regime is considered an additional incentive for the development of inbound tourism in the industry. After the launch of visa-free travel with Saudi Arabia, similar agreements are expected to be introduced with Kuwait, Malaysia and Bahrain.

According to the Ostrovok booking service, the demand of foreign tourists for accommodation in St. Petersburg hotels increased by 10% year-on-year in May. The largest increase was shown by travelers from China — plus 37%. At the same time, 45% of all bookings are for four-star hotels.

The business tourism segment is also showing positive dynamics. According to Daria Lukyanova-Zubritskaya, marketing director of the digital business travel platform Rocket, the demand for trips by foreign business tourists to St. Petersburg increased by 13% in January–May.

"The average check for trips by foreign business travelers to St. Petersburg is 150 thousand rubles for guests from abroad, 80 thousand rubles for tourists from the CIS. The average cost of a business trip to the Northern Capital increased by 16% year-on-year. First of all, this is due to the rising cost of travel service providers — tickets, hotels. We see the greatest increase in demand from travelers from China and India," she shared.

The most noticeable price increase was recorded in the premium hotel segment: the average cost of a night in such hotels reached 44.4 thousand rubles, which is 21% higher than last year. The cost of air tickets in economy class increased by 11%, in business class - by 13%.

In addition to transportation and hotel expenses, the daily expenses of tourists are also increasing. According to the Check Index analytical center of the OFD Platform, the average check in restaurants in St. Petersburg in the first quarter amounted to 2,093 rubles, which is 6% higher than last year.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 6 that Russia and China were continuing to coordinate the issue of extending the visa-free regime between the agencies.

Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui said on April 5 that it is desirable to extend the visa-free regime between Russia and China indefinitely. According to him, the current visa-free travel format has already provided citizens of both countries with a significant number of convenient conditions.