All news
Foreign tourists have gone to their hotels
Due to the introduction of electronic visas and the weakening of the ruble, the demand for foreign travel to Russia in September 2024 doubled compared to last year. In fact, the flow of foreign tourists is still seven times lower than before the pandemic and geopolitical crisis, but even the current growth in tourists can support further development of the hotel market. Foreign guests spend almost 20% more on accommodation in Russian hotels than Russian citizens.
The Ostrovok service calculated that the number of hotel reservations by foreign tourists in Russia in September of this year doubled compared to the same period last year. Epidemiology seems to be more important than June-August. Since then, demand has increased by 1.5 times. Intourist reported that the number of foreign tourists visiting the Russian Federation in June-September increased by 2.5 times compared to the same period last year.
According to Rosstat, from January to August, 1.6 million foreigners stayed in Russian housing, which is 40.6% more than in the same period in 2023.
Dmitry Gorin, vice-president of the Russian Federation of the Tourism Industry, reported that the number of organized tourists who came to Russia from abroad from January to September reached 700 thousand, which is twice as much as for the same period last year.
Ostrovaka notes that currently the main share of foreign hotel bookings in Russia are tourists from Asian countries, with 41% coming from China, India and Malaysia. In 2024, tourists from the Middle East accounted for 31% of bookings, from the former Soviet Union - 12%, Europe - 11%, and Africa, Latin America and the United States - 5%. Vice President of the Russian Association of Travel Agents Sergey Romashkin noted that this year the activity of tourists from Georgia and Turkey is increasing.
Managing Director of Ostrovok Daria Kochetkova calls the introduction of electronic visas for citizens of 55 countries of the world from August 1, 2023, a key factor in increasing the flow of foreign tourists to Russia. "To get such a visa, you need several days," she says. An incentive for foreigners could be the depreciation of the ruble in September and, as a result, a decrease in the cost of travel, adds Dmitry Gorin. Over the month, the dollar has grown by 6.7% against the ruble and by 4.7% against the euro.
Despite the overall positive dynamics, Gorin notes that the number of foreign tourists visiting Russia in January-September of this year was seven times less than in 2019.
He recalls that in the "best years" before the pandemic and geopolitical crisis, the country was visited annually by up to 5 million guests. Now, given the global boom in foreign tourism, I think the figures for the Russian Federation could be even higher. However, external factors act as limiters.
Among the latter, Mr. Gorin cites an unstable geopolitical background, including new conflicts in the Middle East, restrictions on air travel, and restrictions on transactions with foreign bank cards in the Russian Federation. According to experts, travelers mostly bring cash with them. Given the limited earning potential, this is not always convenient.
Foreign tourists still make up a relatively small share of the total number of guests at Russian hotels. According to Traveline, the share of foreign tourists this year was 6.1%. However, hoteliers traditionally consider such guests to be more profitable. According to Ostrovok, the average cost of a night booked by foreigners in Russia this year was 68,000 rubles. This figure increased by 26% compared to the previous year and exceeded the average expenses of Russians by 19%.
According to Ostrovok, the most expensive orders come from tourists from Saudi Arabia. On average, they pay 15.3 thousand rubles per night in Russian hotels. The second for citizens of the UAE is 13.5 thousand rubles. Every night. Indian guests spend an average of 43,000 rubles. Japan - 4.9 thousand rubles per night. The territory of foreign travel to Russia is limited. According to OneTwoTrip, 31.1% of foreign tourists visit Moscow and 17.2% visit St. Petersburg. The shares of other cities are much smaller. Kaliningrad - 2.3%, Kazan - 2.1%, Sochi and Vladivostok - 1.5% each.