Russia’s 2025 Inbound Tourism Volumes Expected To Increase By 20-25%

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia ATOR) has stated that the forecast volumes of inbound tourists to Russia this year was expected to rise by 25% to reach about 2 million visitors, while the number of outbound Russian tourists is expected to increase to 6.4 million during 2025. The predictions were made by Alexander Musikhin, ATOR’s Vice President for inbound tourism and a general director of Intourist.

Musikhin stated, “Last summer, in 2024, the organized inbound tourism market registered a sharp increase in the number of foreigners traveling to Russia, three times the number during the ‘lost’ summer of 2023. In 2024, flows largely stabilized, meaning the comparison base was no longer so low. For 2025, the market increase will most likely no longer be so vast but continue organically. Forecast data for organized tourism is 20-25%.”

There are several factors affecting inbound tourism during high season, which might correct the forecast downward, he said. The first of these factors is the considerable strengthening of the Russian ruble against the US dollar and the euro.

Musikhin said that “All services in the dollar equivalent are becoming more costly, and our partners abroad are very sensitive to it; they are constantly asking and re-asking for a better price. At the same time, the demand among foreigners for quality accommodation during high season is very high, so no one is talking of any discounts. On the contrary, hotel and transportation prices increased by at least 30%. The average price of a Russia tour, including flights, for a foreign tourist is currently over US$2,000.”

Other factors affecting Russia’s inbound tourism are the requirement for tourists from visa-free countries to register on the Gosuslugi website and an insufficient number of direct flights from the most promising countries sending tourists: Saudi Arabia, Oman, India, Malaysia, and several others. The issue with using foreign bank cards to pay for goods and services in Russia, which is currently impossible, also has an impact.

This summer, the biggest number of tourists are expected from China, who account for an estimated 65% of the total, tour operators said. In second place are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states (around 18%). They are followed by Iran (around 8%), India (around 4%), Southeast Asian countries (around 4%), the CIS, Turkiye, and Europe (around 1%).

The most popular destinations among organized foreign tourists are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, North Caucasus, and Kazan. Chinese groups tend to prefer Siberian and Far Eastern cities.

In total, up to 800,000-850,000 foreign business travelers and tourists (both organized and independent) are predicted to visit Russia in the June-August summer months.