Summer Tourism 2026: Russians Travel East

This summer, more Russians are once again traveling abroad: Between 6.4 and 6.8 million Russians will choose destinations outside the Russian Federation during the three summer months of June, July, and August, according to the Association of Russian Tour Operators (ATOR). That is an 8% increase over the previous year. Domestically, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development expects 94 million trips for the full year, up from 90 million the previous year.

A comparison with the pre-COVID year of 2019 shows just how much travel patterns have shifted in recent years: In 2019, statistics from Russian border authorities showed 48 million outbound trips; in 2025, the figure was 31.5 million—a third fewer. According to the industry association Ator, this gap is primarily due to the loss of Europe as a popular travel destination. Domestic tourism, by contrast, increased by 30% during the same period.

China Boom Thanks to Visa-Free Travel

In September 2025, the People’s Republic of China introduced visa-free entry for Russians on a trial basis and extended it in May 2026 through the end of 2027. Russia followed suit this week: By presidential decree, Chinese citizens may enter the country visa-free for 30 days until December 31, 2027. The impact of visa-free travel is reflected in the numbers: According to the business newspaper Kommersant, Russians made 2.47 million trips to China in 2025, up from 1.9 million the previous year. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of tourist trips then rose by as much as 62% compared to the same period the previous year, reports the newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

The resort island of Hainan—often called “China’s Hawaii” because of its palm-fringed beaches—welcomed 308,000 Russian visitors from January through May, according to Ator, a 67% increase over the same period the previous year. If this pace continues, the association expects a 50% increase in trips to China for the full year: based on the 2.47 million trips in 2025, that would amount to approximately 3.5 million. China would thus move into the top 5 of Russian overseas destinations for the first time, behind established destinations such as the frontrunner, Turkey, followed by Egypt with 12% of Russian overseas bookings and a 15% increase over the previous year, and Vietnam with a 10% share and rapid growth of 150%.

Last year, 834,000 Chinese tourists visited Russia—meaning that more than half of all foreign tourists came from the People’s Republic, out of a total of 1.64 million tourist arrivals, according to the Interfax news agency. According to the industry association Ator, 290 direct flights per week are connecting 11 Russian and 17 Chinese cities this summer. This represents an increase of one-third.

Turkey dominates, Vietnam grows, EU plays no role

According to Ator, travel to the 30 most popular vacation destinations rose by 16% to 20.1 million. Turkey remains the top international destination, accounting for 57% of all summer bookings, but is losing a slight share of the market: in 2025, that share stood at 58.2%.

Ator expects 2.9 to 3 million Russian tourists to visit Turkey this summer. For the year as a whole, Turkey is likely to surpass the pre-COVID record of 7 million Russian visitors for the first time, says Ator Vice President Taras Kobishchanov. However, the nature of these trips has changed: In 2019, almost all travelers came for beach vacations; today, about 2 million trips are for transit and city tourism via Istanbul.

According to an Ator analysis, a package tour to Turkey in July costs an average of 229,300 rubles (2,560 euros, +2.5% year-over-year), while a trip to Egypt costs 190,900 rubles (2,130 euros, +4.7%).

Vietnam (-17%) and China (-10.5%) became significantly cheaper thanks to the strong ruble. The average booking value for an international tour rose by 7% to 195,600 rubles (2,180 euros), reports Vedomosti, citing the travel agency Onlinetours.

EU countries play hardly any role in summer travel. According to Ator, no EU destination ranks in the top 10. Meanwhile, traditional travel destinations remain popular: In 2025, the Schengen countries issued a total of 618,806 visas to Russians, 14% more than the previous year—with Italy (161,121 visas), France (156,547, +26%), and Spain (123,359), according to data from the European Commission. However, since November 2025, the EU has stopped issuing multiple-entry visas to Russians, and the waiting time for visas to Italy and France has reached up to three months, reports Kommersant. Since there are no direct flights, travelers must transit through hubs such as Istanbul, Yerevan, or Belgrade.

Domestic: Anapa Makes a Comeback, Sochi Loses Ground

Domestically, the Black Sea coastal region of Krasnodar tops the summer vacation rankings, ahead of St. Petersburg, Dagestan, and Moscow. The Black Sea city of Anapa is making a successful comeback this season: Following the oil spill in December 2024, authorities reopened 58 beaches this summer, and demand doubled, according to the hotel service Travelline. The Caucasus region of Dagestan has recovered from the spring floods and, according to Interfax, is now only 2% below last year’s levels. The Olympic city of Sochi, on the other hand, is down 15%. Overall, the market is cooling off: Hotel bookings nationwide are 5% below the levels of summer 2025, reports the daily newspaper Kommersant. The long-term trend for domestic tourism, however, is on the rise: According to data from the statistics agency Rosstat, Russia’s lodging establishments recorded approximately 395 million overnight stays in 2025, 39% more than in 2019.

Source: Ator, Kommersant, Interfax, TourDom, RIA Novosti (all RU)

Source: German-Russian Chamber of Foreign Trade, Summer Tourism 2026: Russians Travel East, July 24, 2026.

This article was prepared for the German-Russian Chamber of Foreign Trade.