Monday, September 9, 2024 Amid ongoing sanctions and geopolitical tensions following the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, domestic travel has surged among Russian citizens. Before the conflict, many Russians preferred vacationing abroad. However, international travel has become increasingly difficult due to suspended flights, restricted visas, and payment limitations, leading to a growing trend of domestic exploration.
Following the European Union’s suspension of direct flights between the EU and Russia, coupled with visa restrictions and rising airfare costs to destinations like Turkey, international travel for Russians has plummeted. The situation has been compounded by the inability to use Russian payment cards abroad or on non-Russian websites, forcing many to reconsider their travel plans. According to Statista, outbound Russian tourism decreased by 44% between 2019 and 2023.
Conversely, domestic tourism saw a significant boost, with a 21% year-on-year increase in 2023, as reported by the Russian government. This upward trend has continued into 2024, with a 9.35% rise in Russian travelers exploring their home country during the first half of the year, according to the TASS news agency and the Ministry of Economy.
Moscow remains the most visited domestic destination, attracting 5.9 million tourists, followed by the Krasnodar region, home to the Black Sea resorts, with 4.3 million visitors.
Despite the proximity to conflict zones in Ukraine, many Russian tourists still travel to the southwest region, though some prefer to avoid the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea due to attacks on the Kerch bridge, a key tourist route. Despite the challenges, the Crimean authorities reported an increase in tourist numbers, with over 3.2 million visitors between January and July 2024, marking a 19% rise compared to the previous year.
The ongoing conflict has made travel to the southwest of Russia more time-consuming, as airports like Anapa and Guelendjik, popular beach destinations, remain closed due to military operations. This has led many tourists to opt for train or car journeys, which can take over 24 hours to reach their destinations. Despite the inconveniences, domestic tourism has become a profitable industry for Russia.
In 2023, the sector generated a profit of 280 billion rubles (about 2.7 billion euros), a 2.3-fold increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
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