Analysts have found out the preferences of Russians in the way of travel planning

Despite the growing popularity of independent travel, tourists often resort to the help of professionals to plan holidays abroad. For example, the share of foreign destinations in the booking structure was 29% for travel agents, which is 1.7 times higher than for tourists who planned trips themselves. At the same time, the share of foreign bookings from independent travelers increased by three percentage points over the year, to 17%. This is the conclusion reached by the analysts of the online booking service Ostrovok, having studied the geography and structure of Russian bookings for 2025.

Most often, Russians themselves organized trips abroad to the CIS and neighboring countries (59%). They contacted travel agents to plan a trip to this destination almost twice as often (32%), however, its share in the agency segment increased by seven percentage points year on year.

"The CIS countries and neighboring countries are often chosen by independent tourists: these are understandable and close to us areas where there is practically no language barrier. It is easy to plan trips there on your own. But when you want to get a ready-made solution and not waste time on choosing a hotel, transfer and excursions, travelers turn to travel agents. In addition, travel arrangements for older family members are often made through agencies. In such cases, it is especially important that the route is thought out in advance, a transfer and on—site escort are arranged," Daria Kochetkova, Managing director of the Ostrovok Group of companies, explained to Izvestia.

According to her, agents were more often contacted to plan trips to distant countries. For example, Asia accounted for 30% of professional bookings abroad, which is twice as high as for independent travelers (14%). Among the countries in this region, China, popular for sightseeing trips, was the leader among agency clients, while Thailand, popular for beach holidays, was the leader among independent tourists. Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and Indonesia were also in high demand in both segments.

According to analysts, the share of Middle Eastern countries in the structure of travel agent bookings was significantly higher (23%) than that of independent tourists (17%). Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt formed the main demand in the region in both segments, while trips to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman were noticeably more frequently booked through agents.

Turkey and Egypt, which used to be associated with organized tours, have strengthened their positions in the segment of independent travel. So, in terms of the number of bookings, Turkey took the second place in 2025, and Egypt entered the top 20 popular destinations for tourists booking trips on their own. When traveling in Turkey, the latter most often chose Istanbul to explore local attractions, and the clients of travel agents preferred the beach resorts of Antalya, Alanya, Kemer and Kashu. Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Cairo were the leaders in trips to Egypt for both segments of tourists.

Due to visa restrictions and complicated logistics, traveling to Europe has become more difficult than before, which is why Russian tourists often turned to professionals for help in planning trips. This destination accounted for 14% of foreign bookings made through agents, while independent travelers accounted for 9%. For both segments of tourists, Italy, France, Spain and Hungary remained the leaders in demand, as in 2024. These countries are traditionally among the "points of first entry" to Europe: it is easier to apply for a visa there, and transport links are best developed.

In terms of travel costs, there were also differences between those who planned a vacation on their own and those who contacted travel agents. The clients of travel agents chose more expensive accommodation: their share of five—star hotels was almost twice as high as that of independent tourists (16% versus 9%), and the share of four-star hotels was 27% versus 18%. At the same time, those who planned trips on their own were more likely to choose more budget accommodation.

For example, the share of apartments in bookings through Ostrovok was 18%, which is almost five times higher than that of travel agents (4%).

As a result, the cost of booked accommodation from agencies was higher than that of independent tourists. For example, in Turkey, a night in a hotel cost an average of 12.4 thousand rubles for a travel agent's client, while 8.9 thousand rubles for an independent tourist. Travel agents booked accommodation in China for one night for an average of 12.3 thousand rubles, while travelers who planned trips on their own spent about 9.7 thousand rubles.

Reservations are weak: travel services have launched a program to support Russian hotels

Has the transformation of the travel booking platform market begun and how competitive is it

Irina Manuilskaya, director of the travel company's sales office, spoke on February 25 about the most common mistakes tourists make when planning their own trips. According to her, common mistakes are related to entry formalities: travelers incorrectly apply for visas, do not take into account passport validity requirements, or learn about the need for registration and questionnaires already at the airport.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.