This is the worst indicator in the past five years, according to data analyzed by the publication “Kommersant” from “Rosstat”.
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Sergey Romashkin, Vice President of the Russian Travel Organizers Association, estimated a 15% decrease in inbound traffic, but added that the decline intensified further in the summer.
51% of tourists – from China
The active tourism season in Russia lasts from May to September, and the largest share of foreign tourists comes from China. Last year, according to the Border Service, Chinese tourists accounted for 50.8% of all traffic.
Saudi Arabia ranked second (4.6%), followed by Turkmenistan, Turkey, Germany, and the UAE.
The decline in the inbound tourism market is observed despite the Russian government’s efforts to stimulate flows: since 2023, foreigners can use electronic visas (available to citizens of 64 countries), and visa-free regime for China will apply from September 2025.
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According to S. Romashkin, currently tourists are decreasing from all countries, including China. Marina Levchenko, General Director of the company “Tari Tur,” noted that this summer season did not meet expectations. She recalled that due to the war started in February by the US and Israel against Iran, air communication with Middle Eastern countries was interrupted. This cut off not only travelers from this region but also from Southeast Asia from Russia.
Moreover, in May and June, due to drone attacks from Ukraine, the operation of Russian airports was often disrupted, and the emerging fuel crisis causes additional concern for tourists.
According to the expert, travel organizers currently have many inquiries for autumn trips, but whether they will turn into actual arrivals depends on the security situation in the country and international events.
Representatives of “Azimut Hotels” emphasized that without stable air communication, it will not be possible to restore tourist flows to pre-pandemic levels.
