The last ones are in autumn: Russians are going to Crimea and Turkey during the velvet season

The demand for tours in September-October exceeds the level of last year by almost a third, the booking services told Izvestia. Accommodation and tickets are also booked one and a half times more often. The most popular destinations were Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Abkhazia and Thailand. And inside the country they choose Krasnodar Territory, the Caucasus, Kaliningrad, Dagestan and Crimea. Tourists like the autumn period because at this time, as a rule, hotels are less crowded, prices are 20-30% lower than in summer, and the sea remains warm, market participants explained.

Where to relax abroad in the fall

Russians are more active than a year earlier in booking trips for the velvet season. Thus, the level of demand for travel with arrivals from the beginning of September to the end of October is 29.2% higher than the same figures last year, according to the data from the <url> service.

The number of daily apartment bookings in Russia for the same period increased by 52% compared to last year, and interest in suburban properties doubled, according to the press service of the Avito Travel housing reservation service.

On Ozon Travel, the demand for tours during the velvet season increased one and a half times year-on-year, both for Russian and foreign destinations.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lvov

The top ten foreign destinations in terms of interest include Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Abkhazia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Maldives and Tunisia.

To "Fly.<url>" notes an increase in the volume of travel applications from the beginning of September to the end of October to Thailand — by 46%, to Belarus — by 37.5%, to Turkey — by 36.4% compared to the period under review in 2024.

Photo: TASS/Oleg Yelkov

There was also an increase in demand for tours to Egypt, the Maldives, China and the UAE. Last year, Tunisia and Vietnam were chosen by a few, but this year these destinations have become more popular. There is also a significant increase in the volume of bookings for tours to Tunisia and Vietnam relative to single applications from the previous year.

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The average check for a tour to Turkey in the velvet season increased by 3.9% year—on—year, to 222.6 thousand rubles, to Egypt - by 10.5%, to 214.4 thousand rubles, to the UAE - by 3.7%, to 105.2 thousand rubles. Holidays in Abkhazia will cost an average of 105.2 thousand rubles, which is 15.1% higher than last year. A tour to Thailand rose in price by 7.9% over the year, to 177.8 thousand rubles, and to China — by 8.1%, to 179 thousand rubles.

Turkey, especially Istanbul and Antalya, remains the leader in bookings in September and October, the press service of the Kupibilet air and train ticket search and purchase service shared.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Thomas Thaytsuk

In addition, the demand for flights to Abkhazia, Georgia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan is growing, Ozon Travel added.

"Moreover, if the check for domestic destinations has not changed much since last year, then it has decreased by 8% for foreign destinations," they calculated.

Where to relax in the autumn in the country

In Russia, the Krasnodar Territory, the Caucasian Mineral Waters, the Kaliningrad Region and Dagestan remain the most popular destinations for recreation at the beginning of the holiday, the services reported.

Also this year, during the velvet season, there is an increased demand for holidays in Crimea, according to the online booking service for hotels and apartments Ostrovok.

— Several resorts in the region are showing a significant increase in bookings compared to the same period last year. So, in Sevastopol, demand increased by 97%, in Feodosia — by 83%, in Yevpatoria — by 78%, in Sudak — by 63%, in Alushta — by 43%, they calculated.

Photo: TASS/Sergey Malgavko

Among other destinations, the number of bookings for September-October in Adler doubled.

—Kostroma, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Vladikavkaz, Nizhny Novgorod, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Yaroslavl, as well as Gorno-Altaysk, are the leaders among non—resort destinations," the service noted.

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The average cost of a booked night in hotels and apartments in the country is 5.5 thousand rubles, which is 12% higher than last year.

The demand for Russian hotels for the fall has more than tripled over the year. Sochi and the Krasnodar Territory are most often chosen, as well as Moscow, Kaliningrad Region and St. Petersburg.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Igor Onuchin

Krasnodar Region remains the leader in short-term rental of apartments and suburban housing in September-October, Avito Travel added.

— On average in Russia, renting an apartment in the velvet season of 2025 will cost 4.5 thousand rubles per day, a country house — 7.9 thousand rubles per day. Basically, vacationers rent housing for six days, and they plan to move into three apartments and four country houses, they recorded there.

The cheapest place to relax is in St. Petersburg, where the average check for one night is 5.7 thousand rubles, and the most expensive is in Sirius, where you will have to pay almost 11 thousand rubles per night, the Othello hotel booking service has calculated.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Nevar

The Caucasus region and Kaliningrad are increasing their popularity among tourists by offering alternative vacation formats, the Kupibilet press service added.

— At the same time, there is a clear pattern: the further a city is located from the central part of Russia, the more often its residents choose domestic tourism. This is especially noticeable on the example of Perm and Yekaterinburg, they recorded there.

So, if Istanbul became the leader among Muscovites in booking tickets, then residents of Yekaterinburg and Perm most often chose Sochi.

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Why choose a vacation in September-October

The beginning of autumn remains one of the most popular holiday periods for Russians, especially for those who travel with their family, said Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT).

— Someone can take a vacation only in the fall. And also during this period, families with young children and elderly relatives like to travel. Since the weather is no longer so hot during this period, there are slightly fewer people at the resorts than in summer," he explained.

According to the expert, prices in September-October may differ from July – August by 20-30% downwards. This is especially true for ticket prices.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

"This year, taking into account the stronger ruble and the large volume of international air transportation offers, the velvet season will definitely be in demand," Dmitry Gorin predicts.

Among the advantages of this season, he also mentioned that the water in the sea, as a rule, warms up to comfortable temperatures by this time. Therefore, most tourists choose sea destinations for September and October.

— By the way, the velvet season is also a great time for river cruises. Navigation continues almost until November. The popularity of this type of tourism is growing, and 10% more travelers are already choosing cruises this year," the expert noted.

But there is no need to talk about early booking promotions for the beginning of autumn, Dmitry Gorin emphasized. They are usually held six to eight months before the trip. Thus, it is now possible to get discounts on such promotions only for winter travel, the expert noted.