Weekend getaway: tours on New Year holidays rose in price by up to 30%
The cost of tours for New Year vacations has increased by 30% in some destinations, aggregators reported to Izvestia. Egypt, Thailand, UAE and Russian regions were among the popular vacation destinations in early January. Air tickets to popular tourist destinations have also gone up in price: for the year they have added up to 23%. The period of New Year holidays traditionally remains one of the most expensive for vacation, experts noted - hotels and carriers raise the cost during the period of high demand. On how much it will cost to travel in the coming New Year vacations - in the material "Izvestia".
How much will the tours for New Year cost?
The average check for tours during the New Year vacations and January vacation has increased significantly over the year, for some destinations the growth amounted to 30%, follows from the data available to "Izvestia" tour aggregators.
The most popular destinations for this period were Egypt, Thailand, UAE, Turkey, as reported in the service "Sletat.ru". In addition, tours to China and Abkhazia, Sri Lanka, Cuba and Maldives were in demand. Within the country Russians are going to Krasnodar region, Caucasian Mineralnye Vody, St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad region, as well as to Moscow.
The most popular air destinations for the New Year within the country are Makhachkala, Sochi and St. Petersburg, added Andrei Maslak, product director of the Kupibilet service. And abroad - Istanbul and Yerevan.
- These cities are attractive for their affordability, good climate and rich cultural program. New Year holidays can be spent there with great interest, - he said.
The most noticeable increase in the average check for tours for New Year holidays to Egypt - it increased by 31% compared to the same period - up to Br275.1 thousand. In addition, the average check for vacations in Abkhazia increased by a third, amounting to Br71.2 thousand.
This year, Russians spend 20% more on domestic travel during the New Year vacations than in the past holidays. The average check for tours to the regions of the country amounted to Br85 thousand. Spending on vacations in China has also increased significantly - tours to the Celestial Empire cost an average of Br302.4 thousand, which is 29.5% more than a year earlier.
But the average check for a January vacation in Turkey in 2025, on the contrary, decreased by 20.4% to 187.3 thousand rubles. A little cheaper and tours to the UAE - on average they cost almost 295 thousand rubles, which is 5.5% less than a year ago.
Book vacation options for the period of the January holidays Russians began back in the summer of this year, recalled in the services. And in September, the demand for tours with arrivals during the New Year vacations almost 4.6 times exceeded last year's figures, follows from the data of "Sletat.ru". Russians began to prepare for trips to Turkey for the New Year holidays in 174 days, in Thailand - in 158 days, and in Egypt - in 153 days, added in "Yandex.Travel". In Russia, the earliest to book a vacation in the Murmansk region - 170 days before the New Year.
How much tickets have gone up in price
Plane tickets during the New Year vacations have also gone up in price, reported "Izvestia" in the service "Kupibilet". Thus, a flight from Moscow to Turkish Antalya for one person in January 2025 will cost 23.3 thousand rubles, which is 20% more expensive than a year ago. Tickets to Istanbul have gone up in price by 23% over the year, while tickets to Yerevan - by almost 8%.
Domestic flights have also become more expensive: a ticket to Sochi in January added 9% in price year-on-year, amounting to almost Br9.2 thousand, while the cost of a ticket to Kaliningrad has increased by almost 22% over the year.
It is more expensive to fly on January holidays than in December or February, as follows from the data of "Kupibilet. For example, a ticket to Istanbul in January will cost more expensive than a month earlier - by almost 76%. And in February the price will fall by 40% compared to the first month of the year.
The New Year period is traditionally a peak time for traveling, which leads to an increase in airfares, explained the product director of this company, Andrei Maslak.
- The main reason is the high demand: Russians tend to plan their vacations so as to spend the holidays with their families. In addition, the cost is affected by the limited number of flights, especially in popular destinations, which naturally increases prices, - he explained.
Andrei Maslak advised those who want to save money to plan trips in advance and not to limit themselves to fixed dates.
- In addition, pay attention to morning and night flights - they are often cheaper than daytime flights. Holiday vacation can be affordable, if you approach its planning wisely, - believes the expert.
According to the service "Ostrovok", the average cost of a booked night for the holidays (December 28 - January 12) in Russian accommodation facilities is 7.1 thousand rubles - 10% higher than last year (6450 rubles). In foreign accommodation facilities, the average cost of a night for the holidays this year is Br12 thousand, which is 5% higher than last New Year's Eve.
Why hotels and carriers raise prices
New Year's holidays annually remain a period of increased prices, said "Izvestia" vice-president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Dmitry Gorin. For some destinations, the cost of vacation during this period may increase relative to prices in the off-season by 50%, he said.
- Such a tariff policy of hotels and airlines in relation to the period of increased demand, - he explained. - These are commercial structures, they are based on dynamic pricing. That is, they raise prices during the period of increased demand.
According to the expert, this approach applies not only to New Year holidays, but also to any other long weekends or holidays, major events.
- The only advice is to pay attention to early booking campaigns, which give an opportunity to get more favorable offers for the high season in advance, usually six months in advance, - recommended Dmitry Gorin.
According to him, hotels can give discounts of up to 40% during early booking periods. However, the expert pointed out that this discount is already calculated from a higher cost.
- If we compare, for example, traveling in mid-December or immediately after the January holidays, the price will be 30-50% less than the price of the high season. And for a number of destinations the reduction will be even more significant, - emphasized Dmitry Gorin.
In addition, when air tickets or hotel seats are quickly sold out, prices for the remaining ones can also rise, the specialist added.
