Russian Summer 2025 Outbound Tourist Volumes Expected To Increase 24.8%

Outbound tourism from Russia may reach some 6.4 million this coming summer, which is a 24.8% increase from last year, the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) said on Friday (May 30).

Artur Muradyan, vice president of ATOR for international tourism, said that “The early booking of summer vacations is almost twice as successful this year as last year. According to our tentative estimations, some 6.4 million Russians will go to popular foreign countries for vacation and business purposes in the coming three summer months, compared to 5.15 million last year.”

The increase in the demand for vacations abroad is due to several factors, he said.

“The strengthening of the Russian ruble, which began in spring and is continuing, has stimulated sales, as Russian users can buy more services overseas. Air flights to many popular destinations have become cheaper. The main surprise of the summer season is the rise of charter flights to Vietnam, with the demand for vacations in Vietnam actively increasing and additional flight connections also available.”

According to ATOR, Turkiye remains a traditional leader among foreign destinations with 3.15 million tourists, with Russian visits projected to increase by 15% over summer 2024. It is followed by Abkhazia (1.1 million tourists, increasing 7%) and China, where an expected 500,000 Russian tourists will go (up 25%).

The top ten most popular destinations also include the United Arab Emirates (450,000, up 20%), Egypt (80,000, +45%), Thailand (260,000, +17%), Vietnam (100,000, +140%), the Maldives (65,000, +15%), the former Soviet republics (210,000, +20%), and Indonesia (55,000, +10%).

ATOR said that over 50% of the overseas summer tours offered to Russians have already been sold due to successful early booking. In 2024, Russian nationals spent almost US$38 billion on travel to other countries.