Tourism in Russia

Digitalization in the field of tourism

Main article: Digitalization in hotel and resort businesses

Ski resorts

Main article: Ski resorts of Russia

Crisis years of outbound tourism

• 2015 - decrease in tourist travel by 31.3% (to 12.1 million trips)
• 2014 - the number of foreign tourist trips decreased by 4%
• 2009 - 15.5% decrease
• 2001 - minus 6.5%,
• 1999 - 15.6% reduction
• 1998 - minus 24.4%

Visa-free countries

Business tourism in Russia

Main article: Business tourism in Russia

Tourism in Moscow

Main article: Tourism in Moscow

River cruises

Main article: River cruises

National Tourism Portal

Main article: Russia.Travel

2024

Approved the construction of the resort "St. Petersburg Marina" for 210 billion rubles

At the end of March 2024, the construction of a new tourist cluster "St. Petersburg Marina" at the "Gorskaya" site was approved in Russia. 210 billion rubles will be allocated for the implementation of this project. Read more here.

Putin instructed to increase the contribution of domestic tourism to Russia's GDP to 5%

On March 28, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting on the creation of federal year-round seaside resorts, set the task of doubling the share in tourism in the Russian economy.

I draw your attention to the most important task of the current decade. The contribution of domestic tourism to the country's GDP should double: up to 5%... It is important here that almost all of our national projects will work to raise tourism to one degree or another, "Putin said.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

According to him, it is necessary to expand the infrastructure of active tourism throughout Russia. This industry makes a significant contribution to the promotion of the values ​ ​ of a healthy lifestyle of citizens, the Russian leader noted.

He drew special attention to the need to hold weekend hikes for schoolchildren, college students, technical schools and universities, as well as for families with children.

Domestic companies should continue to remain key partners of the state in the development of the tourism industry. All support measures that have already shown their effectiveness during the implementation of the current national project should be extended, "Vladimir Putin stressed.

He added that more than 403 billion ruble budget funds will be spent on the implementation of the national tourism project for 2025-2030. Putin stressed that the project should be launched in early 2025.

The President noted that the tourism industry opens up development prospects for all regions of the Russian Federation, including those related to the creation of new jobs. Also, the development of the tourism industry is important for expanding entrepreneurial and creative initiative, the head of state said. Simultaneously with the development of resort areas, their transport accessibility should increase, the accompanying infrastructure, including communal and engineering, should develop, he added.^[1]

Chernyshenko: 100 billion rubles allocated for the implementation of the national project "Tourism and Hospitality Industry" in 2023-2024.

The volume of financing of the tourism industry in 2023-2024. will amount to about 100 billion rubles. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko announced this in early February 2024 during a meeting of the government commission for the development of tourism in the Russian Federation as part of an exhibition-forum in Moscow.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, the number of tourist trips in Russia should grow to 140 million by 2030 from 78 million in 2023.

Meeting of the Government Commission for the Development of Tourism in the Russian Federation within the framework of the exhibition-forum in Moscow, February 2024

Within the framework of the national project "Tourism and Hospitality Industry," modular hotels are being built, a room fund is being built under concessional lending programs. As part of this national project, the tourism industry received unprecedented funding and conditions for development, Chernyshenko said in early February 2024.

If in 2018 - 3.7 billion rubles were allocated from the federal budget for tourism, then in 2022 - 67.7 billion rubles. This is an 18-fold increase, - said the Deputy Prime Minister, whose words are quoted by the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development.

Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov at the same meeting of the government commission for the development of tourism in the Russian Federation in early February 2024 stressed that with an increase in the number of tourist trips, business revenues are also growing. For example, hotels and hotels for 2023 increased revenues by more than 20%. Building up the number of rooms is one of the priority areas today, on which, among other things, support measures are concentrated. One of the key programs is the concessional lending program.

According to Reshetnikov, at the end of 2023, the third stage of the program of concessional lending to large hotels was launched. The government also expanded support for the creation of year-round amusement parks, water parks, ski resorts. By the beginning of February 2024, the Ministry of Economics received more than 100 projects with a loan portfolio of 318 billion rubles, the head of the department said.^[2]

2023

Russian tourist flow to Saudi Arabia doubled in a year

In 2023, tourists from Russia visited Saudi Arabia 106 thousand times - this is twice as much as in 2022, when the number of such trips was 55 thousand. This was announced in March 2024 by RBC with reference to the director of the tourism department of Saudi Arabia Fahd Hamiddadin. Read more here.

Tourist flow from Russia to Greece for the year decreased by only 1%

In 2023, the tourist flow from Russia to Greece amounted to 35.7 thousand people, which is 1% less than a year earlier. This is evidenced by the data of the Bank of Greece, published in February 2024. Read more here.

The number of trips of Chinese tourists to Russia over the year has grown 4 times

The number of Chinese trips Russia in 2023 reached 790 thousand against 130 thousand a year earlier. Especially impressive growth was noted in the field of tourism - from 800 to 199.8 thousand trips (an increase of four times). This follows from the data Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation published in February 2024.

Despite this jump, the Chinese took only fifth place in terms of the total number of foreigners entering the Russian Federation. The leaders are citizens of Kazakhstan (3.16 million trips in 2023), Uzbekistan (3.11 million) and Tajikistan (2.15 million), who travel to Russia within the framework of various goals, from work and study to tourism.

In its statistics, the FSB border service includes foreign and Russian citizens crossing the state border for the purposes of the visit: business, workers, tourist, private, educational, permanent residence, as well as trips of personnel and military personnel serving vehicles. According to the methodology, if the same foreign citizen repeatedly entered the country during the reporting period, he is counted as many times as he crossed the state border in one direction. Therefore, it is correct to talk about the number of trips, and not about the number of citizens, RBC clarifies.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), most of the visits indicated as tourist, in fact, do not belong to classical tourism.

It must be understood that people formally received a visa for tourism, but did not go for it - for example, for business or personal affairs, and not for sightseeing or recreation, - explained in ATOR.

According to the World Without Borders Association, by the end of 2023, less than 50 thousand Chinese tourists arrived in Russia through a visa-free channel. This is 24 times less than before the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.^[3]

Russian tourist flow to Tajikistan soared by 92.8% over the year

In 2023, 262.4 thousand tourists from Russia visited Tajikistan, which is 92.8% more than a year earlier. Such data in February 2024 led to the Committee for the Development of Tourism under the Government of Tajikistan. Read more here.

Tourist flow from Russia to Qatar tripled in a year

In 2023, 69 thousand tourists from Russia visited Qatar, which is three times more than a year earlier. The Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) cited such data in February 2024. Read more here.

Egypt visited 1.2 million Russian tourists

Egypt in 2023 was visited by 1.2 million Russian tourists. Such data in February 2023 was cited by the Russian Ambassador to Cairo Georgy Borisenko on the eve of the Day of the Diplomatic Worker. Read more here.

Russians made 27 million trips abroad per year (+ 17 %)

In 2023, Russians made 27 million trips abroad, which is 17% more than a year earlier. This is evidenced by the data FSB released in early January 2024.

According to statistics from the department, the number of trips of Russian citizens abroad for tourist purposes increased by almost 35% in 2023 and reached 9.3 million trips. In 2022, this number was 6.8 million trips.

Among the countries where Russians most often traveled for tourist purposes in 2023 were, among other things, and Turkey UAE. Egypt Thailand In addition, the countries of neighboring countries were in the top ten:,, and. Armenia Uzbekistan Azerbaijan Among Kazakhstan the countries of non-CIS countries, the most visited for tourist purposes were and, Cuba China according to the materials of the FSB.

The service also reported on the increase in tourist flow in the Russian Federation. According to these data, in 2023, the foreign tourist flow Russia in grew 2.9 times compared to 2022. In 2023, 580 thousand foreigners indicated the purpose of the visit to Russia tourism. Most often, tourists come to Russia from,, China Germany Turkey,,, UAE, and Iran Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Kazakhstan.

As RBC explains, the FSB Border Service Statistics takes into account the crossings of the state border by foreign and Russian citizens for the purposes of the visit: business, workers, tourist, private, educational, permanent residence, as well as trips of personnel and military personnel serving vehicles. According to the methodology, if the same citizen repeatedly entered the country during the reporting period, he is counted as many times as he crossed the state border in one direction. Thus, it is correct to talk about the number of trips, and not about the number of citizens, the publication adds.^[4]

Tourist flow in Russia exceeded the pre-pandemic period - more than 75 million people

At the end of 2023, the tourist flow in Russia amounted to more than 75 million people, which exceeds the figure for 2019, when there was no COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, due to which the tourism market declined sharply in the Russian Federation and around the world. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko named the size of domestic tourist flows in 2023 on January 21, 2024.

The Ministry of Economic Development confirmed that Russians are increasingly traveling around the country, but by January 22, 2024, they cite data for incomplete 2023: in January-November 2023, the number of tourist trips in the Russian Federation increased by 20%, or by 12 million people. Only the demand for the North Caucasus among tourists has doubled. At the same time, the geography of trips is expanding, the department said. In 2022, the tourist flow across the country amounted to 73.1 million people, the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development said.

According to the statistics provided by MTS Travel based on Big Data, Dagestan showed the greatest demand among tourists in 2023, where 37% more guests went than in 2022. Moscow, Krasnodar Territory and St. Petersburg remained the leaders in attendance. They took 9.5%, 9% and 5% of all trips, respectively.

Vice-President of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia Sergei Romashkin predicts that by the end of 2024 the market may grow by another 15%. The number of bookings in the first half of January 2024 is already 35% higher than in 2023. Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that the goal for internal tourist flow by 2030 is to achieve an indicator of 140 million.

Ilya Umansky, President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT), announced on January 21, 2024 that the number of tourist trips of Russians to their country in 2023 amounted to 86 million, an increase of 20% compared to 2022. In turn, Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that the data on the tourist flow for 2023 at the PCT "differ from those previously announced, and it would be necessary to verify these figures."^[5]

The number of foreign tourists who entered Russia tripled to 600 thousand people over the year

In 2023, about 600 thousand foreign tourists arrived in Russia, which is three times more than a year earlier, when the tourist flow from abroad was measured 187 thousand people. Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT), cited such data in early February 2024.

According to him, the main volume of visitors to Russia in 2023 is business tourists (80%). Gorin also noted that the number of foreign tourists who travel in groups and on excursions lags behind 2019 by 90%.

In 2023, about 600 thousand foreign tourists arrived in Russia

The PCT vice president says the electronic visa has had a significant impact on the development of inbound tourism. Expensive air tickets and the lack of "payment solutions" have become a deterrent, since cards of foreign banks in Russia do not work, he said.

But of the positive, in addition to electronic visas, it should be noted the launch of visa-free group trips for citizens of China and Iran. According to statistics, in the first months of August [2023] alone, we received over 50 thousand Chinese tourists through this mechanism, "added Dmitry Gorin.

He clarified that 600 thousand people are the number of foreign tourists in Russia who indicated the purpose of "tourism." At the same time, Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, cited data on February 2, 2024, according to which about 8.5 million foreign tourists visited Russia in 2023, which is 3.5% more than a year earlier. According to Kondratyev, 17 priority countries were identified to increase the entry tourist flow, mainly the countries of the Middle East and Asia.

We see that thanks to a number of measures, the interest of foreign tourists to travel to Russia is returning. This is also evidenced by the data on a twofold increase in the booking of Russian accommodation facilities, - he added.[6]

Russia remained the leader in the number of tourists in Georgia

In 2023, the Russian tourist flow to Georgia reached 1.18 million people, which is 31.1% more than a year earlier. This is evidenced by data from the National Statistics Service of Georgia, published at the end of January 2024. Read more here.

Tourist flow from Russia to Uzbekistan for the year increased by 25.8%

In 2023, 714.2 thousand Russians visited Uzbekistan, while in 2022 this figure was 567.7 thousand. Thus, the flow of tourists from the Russian Federation to the republic increased by 25.8%. This is evidenced by the data of the statistics agency of Uzbekistan, which were released at the end of January 2024 and which are based on the recommendations of the World Tourism Organization. The statistics include such visiting goals as rest, study, business trips, visiting relatives, treatment and commercial goals. Read more here.

The growth of the Russian flow of tourists to the Maldives

In 2023, 209,146 Russian tourists visited the Maldives, which is 3.6% more than a year earlier, when 201,954 arrivals were measured from the Russian Federation. 2021 remains a record year, when 220,424 tourists from the Russian Federation visited the Maldives. This was reported in the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) in January 2024. Read more here.

Tourist flow from Russia to Cuba broke the pre-pandemic record

In 2023, 184 thousand people from Russia visited Cuba, which is 3.4 times more than a year earlier. The Russian tourist flow to Cuba broke the record for 2019 (178 thousand people), when there was no COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic yet. This is evidenced by the data of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), which with refers to the statistics of the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba. Read more here.

Tourist flow from Russia to Seychelles increased by a quarter

In 2023, 38,172 tourists from Russia visited Seychelles, which is 24.8% more than a year earlier (30,573 trips), and also 18% higher than the record result of 2021 (31,392 visits). This is evidenced by the data of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), published on January 11, 2024. Read more here.

The tourist flow of Russians to Antalya for the year increased by 14.1% to 3.46 million people

On January 1 to December 31, 2023, 3,461,762 Russian tourists visited Antalya, which is 14.1% more than in 2022. Such statistics in the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) led in early January 2024. Read more here.

The number of trips of Russians abroad per year increased by 20%. Turkey and Thailand are the most popular destinations

The number of trips of Russians abroad in 2023 increased by about 20% compared to the previous year. Turkey and Thailand have become the most popular destinations for tourism. This is evidenced by the data of Russian mobile operators, which were released on December 31, 2023.

According to Tele2, in 2023 the number of trips of Russians abroad increased by 21% compared to the previous year. MTS data indicate an increase of 25%, and MegaFon notes an increase of 17%. It is noted that among MTS customers the share of those who prefer non-CIS countries has increased - by 39% year-on-year, reaching 59%.

Turkey remains the most popular destination among Russian tourists. The share of trips to Turkey among subscribers MTS Travel was 23%, and over the year this figure increased by 14%. Tele2 also notes an increase in interest in Turkey, and in second place was Abkhazia, which has become three percent more popular. The demand for Latin American countries according to "" MegaFon grew by 114%, followed by countries Asia with an increase in travel by 60%.

Cuba has become 2.7 times more popular with Tele2, and the UAE and Egypt are also in increased demand. After the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists returned to Southeast Asia, where trips increased fivefold, and the flow to Thailand increased sixfold after the resumption of direct flights.

According to RBC, the trips of Russians abroad were estimated on the basis of impersonal data from mobile operators MTS (subscriber database as of the end of the third quarter of 2023 - 80.8 million) and MegaFon (subscriber database according to the latest available data for the first half of 2023 amounted to 75.8 million) roaming.

MTS Travel reports that China returned to the top ten popular countries by the end of 2023, where trips increased eightfold.^[7]

Annual tourist flow in Sochi increased by 6% and reached a record 7.6 million people

In 2023, the tourist flow to Sochi reached a record 7.6 million people, which is 5.8%, or 400 thousand tourists, more in comparison with 2022. The mayor of the resort city Alexei Kopaygorodsky cited such data in his Telegram channel at the end of December 2023. Read more here.

Chernyshenko: China became the leader in the number of foreign tourists in Russia

China became the leader in the number of foreign tourists in. Russia This was RUSSIAN FEDERATION Dmitry Chernyshenko announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on December 18, 2023 during the 27th meeting of the Russian-Chinese Commission on the preparation of regular meetings of heads of government in. Beijing

According to the forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development, which Chernyshenko brought, the volume of tourist trips between Russia and China by the end of 2023 will exceed 1 million people, and by 2030 it will grow fivefold. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation also noted the high demand for electronic visas: they account for more than half of the total entry tourist flow to Russia.

According to the border service, in Federal Security Service (FSB) January-September 2023, citizens of other countries crossed the Russian border for a tourist purpose 429.1 thousand times, which is three times more than in the same period of 2022 (147.3 thousand trips). Citizens made the most trips to Russia for tourism in the first nine months of 2023. China During this period, the FSB recorded 105.8 thousand cases of crossing the Russian border by Chinese tourists. Over the year, the flow increased significantly: in January - September 2022, statistics recorded only 563 arrivals of Chinese tourists to Russia.

As for tourists from other countries, most often citizens of Germany, Turkey, Iran and Turkmenistan came to Russia in January - September 2023. Compared to last year, the number of trips of tourists from Germany, Turkey and Iran doubled - up to 42 thousand, 33.7 thousand and 25.5 thousand trips, respectively. Turkmenistan showed the greatest dynamics - the number of trips from this country to Russia over the year increased 11 times - to 23.5 thousand against 2.1 thousand a year earlier, according to the FSB border service^[8]

Chernyshenko: 1 trillion rubles will be invested in the creation of new resorts on 5 seas. List

On November 8, 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko at a meeting on the Five Seas project announced the formation of proposals for the construction of 10 new resorts in the Baltic, Azov, Black, Caspian and Japanese Seas in seven regions of the Russian Federation. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the volume of investments in these projects will exceed 1 trillion rubles, mainly extrabudgetary funds. Read more here.

Mishustin approved the issuance of preferential loans for the construction of ski resorts, amusement parks and water parks

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree that included the construction of infrastructure for ski resorts, amusement parks and water parks in the concessional lending program. The corresponding document was published on October 19, 2023. Read more here.

The launch of electronic visas in Russia led to a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists

The launch of electronic visas in Russia has led to a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists. The Kommersant newspaper wrote about this at the end of August 2023 with reference to the data of the booking services. Read more here.

The Russian government decided to create year-round resorts on the coast of five seas for hundreds of billions

On July 12, 2023, it became known about the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation to create year-round resorts in the Baltic, Azov, Black, Caspian and Japanese Seas for hundreds of billions of rubles. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

According to him, the priority resorts are planned to be "Abrau Durso" and "New Anapa" in the Krasnodar Territory, "Golden Sands of Russia" and "Saki" in the Crimea, the Caspian coastal cluster, "Russian Baltic" in Kaliningrad and resorts in the Primorsky Territory. It is also planned to develop a resort on Lake Baikal. The implementation of tourism projects on this lake will attract about 50 billion rubles of private investment.

The key indicator of the national project is the number of domestic tourist trips, which should be at least 140 million by 2030, and 10 million, which will provide new seaside resorts, will be a serious contribution to this piggy bank, "said Chernyshenko, quoted by the government's press service.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov noted that when planning seaside resorts, territories with current preferential regimes, as well as the presence of investors, are considered as a priority. Other criteria include unique natural potential and water area. It should be about 30 thousand square meters. km, and the length of the coastal strip - about 50 km, but at least 10 km. This will make it possible to create infrastructure compactly and efficiently, to concentrate investment activity and tourist flow.

The Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Veniamin Kondratyev in July 2023 said that over the past three years, the volume of investments in the industry has grown 25 times. He clarified that 44 projects worth 418 billion rubles are already being implemented in the region, most of them are hotels of four and five stars, which, according to him, are most in demand among tourists. He is convinced that the new hotels will help contain prices for vacations in the region.^[9]

Allocated 50 billion rubles for new hotels and infrastructure of resorts in Russia

For 2023, about 50 billion rubles are allocated from the federal budget for the development of tourism in Russia. This was announced on June 8, 2023 by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

According to him, with these funds it is planned to build a new number of rooms, infrastructure to resorts, support entrepreneurial initiatives, national tourist routes, as well as provide free educational trips for schoolchildren and young people.

Chernyshenko also noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin set the task of accelerating the development of tourism infrastructure and creating comfortable and affordable conditions for Russians to relax.

As part of the development of tourism, the Russian company Rosa Khutor, the Uzbek mountain resort Amirsoy and the Kazakhstan company Shymbulak will create the Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts. Representatives of the three organizations have already signed a memorandum providing for its creation. The purpose of the agreement is to form a tourist mountain route combining three resorts.

In the spring of 2023, Vladimir Putin instructed to direct voluntary contributions that go to the budget from transactions to transfer assets of investors from unfriendly countries to the development of tourism infrastructure. At the same time, the head states instructed to allocate funds to travel companies Crimea from the Sevastopol national project "Tourism and the hospitality industry" in order to maintain the efficiency of these organizations.

In 2023, 11 regions will receive subsidies from the Ministry of Construction of Russia for the development of supporting infrastructure in order to implement tourism investment projects under construction. Subsidies will be provided for the construction of roads, heat supply networks, gas supply, energy supply, water supply and sanitation, which will ensure the functioning of tourist facilities.^[10]

614 thousand tourists to Thailand in the first 3 months

The tourist flow from Russia to Thailand at the end of 2023 may exceed the pre-pandemic level (1.47 million Russians) and amount to 1.5 million people - ATOR. For the first three and a half months of this year - from January 1 to April 10 - Thailand received 614,338 tourists from Russia.

Ministry of Economic Development sends 2.7 billion rubles to support the tourism industry of Crimea

The Ministry of Economic Development sends 2.7 billion rubles to support the tourism industry of Crimea. The head of the department, Maxim Reshetnikov, announced this at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in early May 2023. Read more here.

700 billion rubles will be invested in the development of tourism in Russia

Financing for the development of the tourism sector in Russia in the next three years is estimated at approximately 700 billion rubles. This was announced in early April 2023 by the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development Sangaji Tarbaev.

This is more than we spent on the World Cup, "Tarbaev emphasized at a plenary session as part of the Siberian Hospitality Forum in Novosibirsk.

According to him, most of the funds will be used to develop infrastructure. The demand for domestic tourism in the country is very high, it was affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the current restrictions on the part of "unfriendly" countries, he said.

The Russians traveled around the country, but they are faced with very poor service, low infrastructure, and this moment of disappointment can be fatal for our industry, "said the head of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development, adding that in Russia it is necessary to" provoke not demand, but supply. "

According to our estimates, the tourism industry has high growth potential, while facing a shortage in the supply of quality accommodation. This is also understood in the regions, so the demand for support for such projects is growing. The Ministry of Economic Development will continue to interact with other regions to collect proposals and finalize applications in order to expand the list of projects, - commented Dmitry Vakhrukov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia.

He noted that in October 2022, nine more new investment projects in tourism were approved by the legal commission for regional development under the program for restructuring budget loans. The volume of investments amounted to 38.6 billion rubles. By the beginning of 2023, there were 49 such projects for 152 billion rubles, their implementation involves the creation of nine thousand workplaces^[11]

Citizens of 19 countries will be able to receive tourist visas to Russia for 6 months

In February 2023, the Russian government approved a list of countries whose citizens can receive an ordinary tourist visa for up to 6 months when confirming a reservation.

The list includes 19 states:

• Bahrain
• Brunei
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Cambodia
• China
• North Korea
• Kuwait
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Myanmar
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Philippines

The Cabinet of Ministers allocated 1 billion rubles for free travel in Russia for schoolchildren

In February 2023, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order that allocated about 1 billion rubles for a tourist program for schoolchildren.

This program was launched by the Government of the Russian Federation in 2022 as a pilot project and became very popular. Its main goal is to acquaint children with the history, traditions, cultural characteristics of their native land and nearby regions. In 2023, the volume of federal funding for the program doubled - from 500 million to 1 billion rubles.

According to the press service of the Cabinet, in 2023 the number of regions participating in the program increased from 18 to 29. Federal funds will compensate for their costs for the development of special travel packages for school-age children and the organization of such trips.

The government continues to create the necessary conditions to provide children with the opportunity to have interesting and informative free time. We will expand the tourist program, thanks to which schoolchildren will be able to make short excursion trips to their native territory or neighboring regions in order to better get acquainted with their history, traditions, cultural characteristics, - said on February 16, 2023, Mikhail Mishustin during a cabinet meeting by the minister (quoted by TASS).

It is assumed that in 2023, within the framework of the program, at least 200 thousand children will be able to make small exciting trips, enriching their knowledge and expanding their horizons.

The Ministry of Economic Development plans to bring funds to the regions within a month, the press service of the department said on February 17, 2023. They also noted that students in grades 5-9 will be able to go on trips. In 2022, 500 million rubles were allocated for the program, 100 thousand schoolchildren took part in it.^[12]

The Russian government allocates 11.4 billion rubles for the development of domestic tourism

In February 2023, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed orders, which allocated more than 11.4 billion rubles to support and develop tourism in the regions of the Russian Federation.

According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers, more than 6 billion rubles will be spent on the implementation of programs for the design of the tourist code of city centers in 24 regions. Federal funds will help create a single architectural and cultural space in popular tourist places: unite the main attractions, carry out landscaping, introduce thoughtful navigation, decorated in a common style.

Over 5.3 billion rubles will be allocated to grant support for business that works in the tourism sector. Of these, more than 3 billion rubles will go to the implementation of public initiatives, including the arrangement of national routes and recreation areas. More than 1.5 billion rubles are intended for companies that are engaged in updating the infrastructure for travelers. The funds will be directed to the purchase of tourist equipment, the creation of year-round pools, the development of new guidebooks and audio guides, as well as to provide a barrier-free environment. In addition, 700 million rubles are provided for projects for the construction of campsites and car camps.

Government investments will make it possible to implement the ideas necessary for the development of the entire industry and designed to make trips around the country more comfortable and interesting. It is necessary that there is as much information as possible about such events, this will help people choose the most convenient travel options and increase the popularity of domestic tourism. It is necessary to stimulate demand not only in the summer, but also in the offseason, "he said at a government meeting on February 9, 2023.

These solutions, according to Mishustin, will help develop the tourism industry, create new jobs in the regions, and increase the popularity of domestic tourism.^[13]

Growth of tourist flow to Thailand 10 times to 203 thousand people in January

Russia took second place in terms of tourist flow to Thailand in January 2023, the number of tourists visiting the country increased 10 times compared to the same period last year to 203 thousand travelers.

2022

Russia took third place in the tourist flow in the Seychelles

In 2022, about 30.6 thousand Russian tourists visited the Seychelles, as a result of which the Russian Federation took third place in terms of tourist flow in the country after Germany (44,626 trips) and France (44,393 visits). Next are tourists from Italy (18,394) and the UAE (16,918). In total, more than 332 thousand foreign tourists arrived on the archipelago at the end of 2022. Such data were brought to the Bureau of Statistics of the Seychelles in January 2023. Read more here.

The number of trips of Russians to the UAE doubled

According to the FSB Border Service for 2022, the Russians made 1.2 million trips to the country. This is twice as high as 2021 and 21.2% more than before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in 2019. Such data were released in April 2023. Read more here.

Revenues of the Krasnodar Territory from the resort fee for the year increased 4.5 times

In 2022, the budget of the Krasnodar Territory received 4.5 times more funds from the resort fee than in 2022 - 747 million against 165 million rubles, respectively. This is evidenced by the data of the Ministry of Resorts, Tourism and Olympic Heritage of the region, which were released on March 13, 2023. Read more here.

Baikal attendance increased by 40%

In 2022, more than 360 thousand people visited reserves, national parks and reserves near Lake Baikal, which is 40% more than in 2021. Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko cited such data on March 3, 2023 following a meeting of the government commission on the protection of Lake Baikal in the Irkutsk region. Read more here.

The number of trips of Russians abroad increased by 2 million

In 2022, citizens of the Russian Federation made 23.2 million trips abroad, which is 2 million more than a year earlier. This follows from the statistics of the FSB Border Service of Russia, which was published on February 7, 2023.

The most popular destinations among Russian tourists in 2022:

• Turkey (3.7 million trips);
• UAE (909.7 thousand);
• Egypt (761, 5 thousand);
• Armenia (295.7 thousand);
• Thailand (171.4 thousand);
• Uzbekistan (131.6 thousand);
• Kazakhstan (113.3 thousand);
• Maldives (94.5 thousand);
• Azerbaijan (92.7 thousand);
• Dominicana (76.1 thousand).

According to statistics from the FSB Border Service, for the purpose of tourism in 2022, Russians made 6.9 million trips abroad. Most of these trips occurred in the third quarter - 2.4 million. In the first and second quarters, approximately the same number of tourists went abroad - 1.17 and 1.16 million, respectively. In the fourth quarter, 2.15 million tourists left.

Turkey also leads among travel destinations for Russians with different goals - 4.8 million. Also on this list are Abkhazia (4.2 million), Kazakhstan (2.7 million), UAE (1.2 million), Egypt (947 thousand).

Immediately in several countries of the post-Soviet space, the number of trips from Russia became a record in five years. In addition to Kazakhstan, these are Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan. There is no data on the departure of Russian citizens to Belarus in the statistics of the FSB.

As the general director of the hotel booking service MTS Travel"" Vadim Melnikov noted, about 86% of adult Russians who traveled in 2022 did not travel abroad, at the same time, the share of citizens who made only trips abroad was 2%. He explained that the service counted the number of adult travelers, making a sample of sim cards MTS those who crossed the home region and remained outside it for more than one night.^[14]

Tourist flow from Russia abroad increased by 20% to 9.5 million trips

In 2022, Russians made 9.5 million tourist trips abroad, which is 20% more than a year earlier, when the figure was measured at 7.5 million. For comparison, in 2019 the number of trips exceeded 19 million. This was announced on December 27, 2022 by the executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Maya Lomidze.

According to her, Turkey (5.3 million trips), Abkhazia (1.1 million), the United Arab Emirates (850 000 - 900 000) and Thailand (410,000) were the most popular among Russian tourists in 2022. The executive director of ATOR recalled that direct flights from Russia by the end of 2022 are available to 32 states, including the CIS countries.

The cost of foreign tourism services in Russia in 2022 increased by 53.95% compared to 2021, Rosstat reported.

ATOR believes that a noticeable increase in Russian tourist flow abroad is associated with the abolition of coronavirus restrictions in most states, the resumption of charters for winter destinations, an increase in flights to Egypt and the UAE, as well as the continuity of flights with Turkey.

The inbound tourist flow to Russia in 2022 decreased by 95% compared to 2021 and amounted to about 180 thousand trips. Most often, tourists from Germany, Iran and Turkey visited the Russian Federation. To stimulate the entry tourist flow, it is necessary to launch electronic visas and resolve the issue of payment for foreign tourists, Lomidze noted.

Domestic tourism growth

In 2022, as a condemnation of the Russian military special operation on To Ukraine some countries, including, states European Union banned or limited the operation and issuance of tourist visas to Russians. Against this background, the volume of domestic tourism in - Russia by 7% (data). Ministry of Economic Development

According to preliminary data from the administrations of a number of regions of the Russian Federation, the tourist flow (both organized and independent) in 2022 amounted to:

• Moscow region - 22 million (+ 57%)
• Moscow - over 18 million (+ 7%)
• Krasnodar Territory - 17 million (+ 3%)
• Petersburg - 8.1 million (+ 32%)
• Crimea - 6.5 million (-32%)
• Kazan - 3.3 million (+ 11%^[15]%

Entry of foreign tourists to Russia decreased by 4.9 million to 200 thousand people

According to the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation, in 2022, 200.1 thousand foreigners visited Russia for tourist purposes. This is almost 4.9 million or 25.5 times less than in pre-pandemic 2019. The entry tourist flow to Russia at the end of last year turned out to be less than even in "covid" 2020 and 2021.

By the end of 2022, the inbound organized tourist flow to Russia decreased by more than 90%. We are talking about an organized segment and classic tourists, not business trips. Difficulties with issuing visas and flights, a negative information background around Russia during the conflict in Ukraine discouraged the desire of foreign tourists to come to the country.

The top three in terms of tourist flow in the Russian Federation are formed by Germany, Iran and Turkey. There is growing interest in Russia from travelers from India.

In 2023, the market is counting on a visa-free travel program from Iran and the return of Chinese travelers to the market.

More than 1 million tourists to the UAE, including 758 thousand to Dubai

The tourist flow between Russia and the UAE in 2022 exceeded the pre-pandemic level and amounted to more than 1 million people. At the beginning of 2023, Russia and the Emirates connect more than 200 regular flights a week.

The Russian tourist flow to Dubai in 2022 exceeded the pre-pandemic level, in 2022 the emirate was visited by 758 thousand tourists from the Russian Federation - ATOR.

Increase in the number of tourists to Uzbekistan 3 times to 568 thousand people

The number of tourists arriving in Uzbekistan from Russia in 2022 increased 3 times compared to 2021, to 568 thousand people - the Uzbek State Committee.

Russians became the leader of the tourist flow in Antalya

Most often, Antalya in 2022 was visited by tourists from Russia - their flow exceeded 3 million people. This was announced in January 2023 by the DHA agency with reference to the chairman of the working group on tourism of the Antalya city council Recep Yavuz. Read more here.

The flow of tourists from Russia to Thailand increased 14 times to 435 thousand people

The tourist flow from Russia to Thailand in 2022 increased by more than 14 times compared to 2021 - up to 435 thousand people - ATOR.

Spain visitors only 200 thousand Russians, 84% less than in 2019

In 2022, only about 200 thousand Russians visited Spain, which is 84% less than the pre-pandemic 2019 (more than 1.3 million).

Mongolia received 145 thousand Russian tourists. Growth of 77 times

Mongolia became the leader in the growth of the flow of Russian tourists in 2022. According to Rosstat, the flow of Russians to this country has grown 77 times over the year. For comparison, Thailand, beloved by Russians, received an increase in tourist flow from Russia by 11.8 times, and Georgia - by 7 times.

Russians are the second most tourists in the Maldives after Hindus

By November 2022, the Russians took second place in terms of the total tourist flow to the Maldives since the beginning of the year and firmly fixed themselves in one of the leadership positions (178,934 tourists), displacing the British to the third line of the rating. The first place was taken by Indian tourists.

4th place in the number of tourists to Israel - 160 thousand people

Russia in 2022 again entered the top five countries in terms of tourist flow to Israel, 160 thousand tourists arrived from the Russian Federation (4th place).

Growth of tourist flow to Azerbaijan by 80%

The tourist flow from Russia Azerbaijan to in 2022 increased by about 80%, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said in November 2022.

About 30 thousand tourists visited Vietnam

At the end of 2022, about 30 thousand Russians visited Vietnam for tourist purposes.

Tourist flow from Russia to Japan fell 11.5 times

The tourist flow from Russia to Japan in 2022 fell 11.5 times - ATOR.

Putin abolished Rostourism

In October 2022, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the abolition of the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm), its functions will be transferred to the Ministry of Economic Development. Read more here.

The number of offices of travel agencies in large cities of Russia decreased by 11% to 7.1 thousand

The decrease in the income of travel agencies due to the fall in the number of outbound trips of Russians forces market participants to abandon offline presence. By October 2022, the number of company offices in large cities decreased by 11% over the year - to 7.1 thousand.

77% of Russian residents have not traveled abroad over the past 5 years, 95% - over the past year

VTsIOM, September 2022:

• 29% of Russians have a passport,
• Schengen visas - 2%.
• 77% of Russian residents have not traveled abroad over the past 5 years.

The total number of trips of foreigners to Russia increased by 16% in 9 months

The total number of trips of foreigners to Russia increased by 16% - from 8.7 million in January-September 2021 to 10.2 million in the three quarters of 2022. Compared to the same period in 2019, the entry tourist flow lags 2.5 times.

Turkey and Abkhazia dominate the segment of outbound tourism in the summer

Inbound tourist flow to the Russian Federation in the first half of the year increased by 26.5% to 81.5 thousand visits

Tourist flow to the Russian Federation in the first half of 2022 increased by 26.5% compared to the same period in 2021 and amounted to 81.5 thousand visits of foreigners to Russia for tourist purposes, but decreased 25 times compared to the indicator of the pre-pandemic first half of 2019 - ATOR.

The collapse of outbound tourism to Thailand

Before the pandemic Covid-19 in 2020-2021 Thailand , about 1.5 million Russians visited the year. In 2022, this figure fell to a minimum: 65 thousand people in January - June.

Development of the federal register of guides

In mid-April 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, during a meeting on the development of ecological tourism, spoke about the creation of a certification system for guides. The plan involves the launch of a federal register of guides, guide translators and guide instructors, which, according to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, will include more than 5 thousand specialists by the end of 2022. The register will be maintained by Rosturizm. Read more here.

Preparing a bill to abolish value added tax for five years

The Government of the Russian Federation introduced to the State Duma the second package of bills to support citizens and business The measures relate to the support of the construction and transport industries, hotel business and tourism, IT companies, simplify the import of medicines into Russia, and also introduce a number of measures to protect the savings of citizens. The State Duma announced this on its website on March 10, 2022.

It is proposed to exempt the hotel business from value added tax for five years. This will affect hotel owners, as well as investors who build and lease and manage tourist facilities (hotels and other accommodation facilities). The decision will help support the industry, attract new investors and solve one of the main problems of Russian tourism - the shortage of high-quality hotels. Read more here.

2021

Foreign tourist flow in the Russian Federation for 2 years decreased by 17.5 times

In 2021, foreign tourists visited Russia 288.3 thousand times, which is 17.5 times less than in 2019 (then the foreign flow exceeded 5 million visits), when there was no coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 due to which the tourism industry suffered greatly. This was announced in mid-February 2022 with reference to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) data of the border service. FSB OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

In 2021, Cuban citizens most often came to Russia - over 72 thousand visits per year. Germany is in second place - in 38.1 thousand visits. The UAE took third place - 26.4 thousand tourist visits to Russia.

The top five also included Turkey (23.2 thousand) and India (16.7 thousand). In sixth place is actually a new, but promising for Russia inbound tourism market - Qatar. In 2021, citizens of this country made 10.3 thousand tourist visits to Russia. This is four times more than in 2019, according to ATOR data.

In seventh place is Kazakhstan. According to tour operators, many visits from this country were made independently and not always for the purpose of classical tourism. Nevertheless, there were also groups from Kazakhstan in 2021. In eighth place is the United States. The tourist flow in comparison with 2019 decreased 28 times: from 241.1 thousand to 8.7 thousand in 2021.

The top 10 entry markets of Russia are closed in 2021 by Serbia (8.1 thousand visits) and Armenia (6.5 thousand). Both countries have significantly reduced tourist flow compared to 2019.

It is noted that they began to come from China less often. Only 230 tourists in 2021 visited the country, according to official data from ATOR. In 2019, 1.5 tourists came from the PRC to the Russian Federation.

In total, in 2021, foreigners made 12.1 million visits to Russia for all purposes. This is 2.5 million more than in the previous year, but 20.8 million less than in 2019. Mainly trips were made by citizens of neighboring countries. ^[16]

The most visited countries by Russian tourists

In 2021, Russian tourists made more than 10.1 million trips abroad, which corresponds to 47.2% of the total number of foreign trips for any purpose. This is evidenced by the data of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), published in mid-February 2022.

Most often in 2021, tourists from the Russian Federation visited:

• Turkey - 4.7 million trips, 46.5% of the total tourist flow);
• Abkhazia - 1.5 million (14.8%;
• Egypt - 1 million (10.4%)
• UAE - 612.8 thousand trips;
• Cyprus - 560.7 thousand;
• Greece - 235.2 thousand,
• Maldives - 222.4 thousand;
• Dominican Republic - 179 thousand;
• Croatia - 145 thousand.
• Cuba - 144.2 thousand.

The combined share of the five leading countries (Turkey, Abkhazia, Egypt, UAE and Cyprus) amounted to 83.3% of the total outbound tourist flow in 2021.

It is noted that in 2021, 39.5% of trips were to the near abroad. That is, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, other countries of the post-Soviet space, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russians made another 2.85 million trips to non-CIS countries. However, everything is mainly with non-tourist goals: workers, training, private visits, and so on.

In total, according to the Border Service of the FSB of Russia, in 2021, Russians made 21.4 million trips abroad with all the goals of the visit. This is 51.4% more than in 2020, but still 55.4% less than in 2019 (48 million trips abroad).

In 2021, Russians had the opportunity to visit 32 countries. The executive director of ATOR Maya Lomidze , in a conversation TASS with, noted that few foreign countries in 2021 managed to surpass the indicators of 2019. The formal leader here Tanzania is a 1227% increase compared to 2019, and this despite the fact that the direction was closed in April 2021 and was never opened. Such a strong growth is explained by the short-term effect of the low base and the lack of alternatives at that time, she added.^[17]

Domestic tourism in Russia recovered by 90%

In 2021, the tourist flow within the Russian Federation reached 56 million people - these are people who stayed at least one night in Russian hotels, the press service of Rostourism reported on December 27, 2021.

They noted that relative to 2019, domestic tourism in Russia has recovered by almost 90%, but some regions in 2021 either returned to the indicators of two years ago or will completely surpass them. Among them are Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Altai, Kamchatka, Kaliningrad Region, Karelia, Sakhalin, Murmansk Region, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria.

The Federal Tourism Agency added that the hardest part was to those areas that are highly dependent on foreign and business flows: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, etc. In 2021, there was a decline in both the number of tourists and their spending.

According to the ministry, the turnover in the Russian tourism industry in 2021 amounted to 2.5 trillion rubles against 3.7 trillion rubles in 2019. Due to the lack of foreign tourists, the industry missed 1.2 trillion rubles.

Rosturizm also cited employment data in the tourism industry - by the end of 2021 it amounted to 2.3 million people, which corresponds to 92% of the 2019 level. In 2020, the figure fell to 1.7 million people.

The head of Rostourism Zarina Doguzova, in a conversation with RBC at the end of December 2021, noted that the rapid recovery of domestic tourism, especially in the low season, is partly due to the implementation of the cashback program for tours in Russia. Within its framework, the Russians spent 34 billion rubles on travel.

The head of Rostourism also announced that the department is preparing a bill on the payment to Russian tourists in the event of bankruptcy of travel agencies of the minimum guaranteed compensation in the amount of 40 thousand rubles. According to Doguzova, the mechanism will protect families with low incomes, and provide one hundred percent reimbursement of the cost of a budget tour or significant compensation for a more expensive tour.^[18]

Total 175 thousand visits of foreigners in 9 months

Foreign tourists made only 175.8 thousand visits to Russia from January to September 2021. Compared to 2019, the entry tourist flow has decreased by at least 24 times.

2020

Decrease in the flow of foreign tourists in the Russian Federation by 93%, to 336 thousand arrivals

In 2020, 336 thousand arrivals of foreign citizens to Russia for tourism were registered, which is 93% less than a year earlier. This is evidenced by the data of the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, almost all tourists visited the Russian Federation in the first quarter of 2020 - then 322.8 thousand people arrived. In the second quarter, travelers from abroad did not visit Russia (zero arrivals). In the third, 4 thousand tourists arrived, in the fourth - 9 thousand. man.

In total, 9.6 million foreigners entered Russia in 2020, which is 67.5% less than a year earlier. This indicator, as well as the flow of tourists to Russia, decreased greatly due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which led to the closure of the borders of the Russian Federation for many countries.

According to Interfax, citing statistics from the department, most often residents of the following states visited Russia in 2020:

• Ukraine - 3.65 million (-57.6% compared to 2019);
• Kazakhstan - 1.4 million;
• Uzbekistan - 720 thousand;
• Tajikistan - 401.8 thousand;
• Kyrgyzstan - 299.6 thousand.

Next are, Azerbaijan,, and Armenia Finland. Belarus China

After the lockdown, all the activity of tour operators focused on the five main tourist destinations opened in August - September. These are Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Cuba, the Maldives and Tanzania (Zanzibar).

The Federal Tourism Agency believes that the entry tourist flow to Russia will return to pre-crisis indicators no earlier than 2023. The head of the department, Zarina Doguzova, noted that by the fall of 2021, the department expects a gradual restoration of international flows.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, the volume of domestic tourist flows in Russia in 2020 decreased by 35-40% compared to the previous year and amounted to 40-42 million people. In 2019, 68 million trips were made.^[19][20]

70% reduction in outbound tourism due to COVID-19 pandemic

29 UNESCO-Protected World Heritage Sites

Details of the national tourism project revealed

On November 16, 2020, it became known that Vladimir Putin supported the strategy for the development of travel in Russia. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed to create a working group.

Association of Tour Operators of Russia Vice President Dmitry Gorin told the radio station "Says" Moscow that the plan is designed until 2030. It is aimed at construction roads, accessibility of travel and reducing their cost.

"It is important that the national project was discussed together with travel companies, public organizations. This is a strategy for tourism development until 2030. A lot of work is to be done to develop infrastructure, travel accessibility and remove unnecessary bureaucratic barriers. All these measures will help increase the number of travel in Russia, more guests from abroad will visit our country, - said Dmitry Gorin. - Tourism after a very difficult year begins to recover already within the framework of the national project. Despite the fact that the project is designed for the long term, we already know the first support measures. This is both a grant program and a cashback program for tourists. Within the framework of the national project, large funding will be allocated for the development and construction of new facilities in tourism. "

Gorin clarified that the project passport is still being approved, after which the amount pledged for the implementation of the document will be made public.

The initiator of the national project, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, said that the events should be launched for the summer tourist season.^[21]

2019

Ukraine is the leader in the number of people entering Russia

How much Russia is dependent on tourism:% of the industry in GDP

What Chinese tourists in Russia spend money on

For nine months of 2019, Chinese tourists who came to Moscow made purchases by an average of 24.6 thousand rubles, analysts of the Sendy payment system and the Evotor IT company calculated. Both companies act as service providers for Chinese payment services WeChat Pay and Alipay in Russian stores.

Spending through these payment systems in other Russian cities is expected to be lower than in the capital. The average check of WeChat users in St. Petersburg is 19.9 thousand rubles, in Vladivostok - 13.6 thousand rubles, in Khabarovsk - 12.4 thousand rubles, in Yekaterinburg  - 10.8 thousand rubles, in Blagoveshchensk - 9.5 thousand rubles, in Novosibirsk - 8.8 thousand rubles.

Studying the checks, analysts came to the conclusion that the most popular goods among Chinese tourists are amber and cosmetics. They account for 30% of all purchases in Russian stores using Chinese payment applications.

The Chinese believe that amber brings prosperity and is a symbol of prosperity.

The top five in terms of spending product categories also include jewelry (12%), souvenirs (8%), alcohol (6%) and chocolate (5%).

The rise of the number of tourists from China

In January - June 2019,  the Chinese, according to Rosstat, made 780.1 thousand trips to Russia for tourist purposes - 17% more than in the same period last year. The total number of Chinese who entered Russia in the first half of this year, according to the FSB border service, reached 959.8 thousand people.

Russia rose in the world ranking in the field of tourism from 43rd to 39th place

On September 5, 2019 consulting , Strategy Partners announced that Russian Federation it was up 4 points from the previous report on the competitiveness of countries in the field of travel and (tourism T&T). She was ranked 39th, and her rating was 4.3 points. This is evidenced by The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019, released by the World economic Forum (WEF). The research partners were the Eurasian Institute for Competitiveness and Strategy Partners (part of the ecosystem). Sberbank

The best Russian indicators that influenced the overall rating were "Health and Hygiene" (6th place in the rating), "Price Competitiveness" (27th place), "Motor Transport Technologies" (23rd place) and "Cultural Heritage and Business Travel" (18th place). The respondents called visa difficulties the worst conditions for the development of tourism, as a result, according to International Openness, Russia was in 123rd place, between Pakistan and Egypt. The experts of the fund and the level of security in the country called low, here Russia is in 98th place between Tanzania and Argentina, the level of political stability (105th place) and the priority of tourism for the Russian government (86th place).

Among the weaknesses that hinder the development of tourism, there are barriers associated with visa procedures for foreign tourists, as well as poor development and poor quality of basic tourist infrastructure in the regions, including hotels, quality of tourist services, transport infrastructure, etc. Also, the effectiveness of the state policy for the development of tourism in Russia is still quite low, "said Alexei Obrazhnykh, project manager in the Russian Federation and partner of Strategy Partners.

Traditionally, the economies of the countries were evaluated according to four indicators: "Favorable Environment," "Policy and Favorable Opportunities for Travel and Tourism," "Infrastructure," "Natural and Cultural Resources." These sections consist of a total of 14 sub-clauses, each with its own rating score.

In the countries of the post-Soviet space, the Russian Federation showed the greatest growth, for the first time in two years being in first place. According to the criterion "Natural and cultural resources," Russia took 34th place in terms of natural resources and 18th in terms of cultural resources. According to the criterion "Politics and favorable opportunities for travel and tourism," the country was in 105th place.

The high performance of the Russian Federation is noted in the section "Infrastructure." So, in terms of the quality of tourism infrastructure, growth occurred by 47 positions - from 116th place to 69th. The country's best indicator in this area in terms of air transport is 23rd place. Russia ranks one of the highest in the world in the subsection "Health and Hygiene" - 6th place.

As for the operability of information and telecommunication technologies, here Russia ranks 48th, competing with Hungary and Thailand.

In the future, we can expect an improvement in Russia's position in the ranking, a potentially positive role can be played here by the developed tourism development program, including measures to reduce barriers to attracting foreign tourists, increasing the availability and quality of tourism infrastructure. Also, the role of regions and cities of the country, which focus on the promotion and development of their tourist clusters, is increasing in the development of tourism potential, "added Alexey Festive, partner at Strategy Partners.

10 outbound tourism countries in the 1st half of the year

Rosstat statistics on travel of Russians in the first half of 2019:

1. Turkey - 2,649,000 people

2. Abkhazia - 1,852,000 people

3. Finland - 1,644,000 people

4. Kazakhstan - 1,371,000 people

5. China - 1,077,000 people

6. Ukraine - 1,057,000 people

7. Estonia - 847,000 people

8. Thailand - 654,000

9. Georgia - 630,000 people

10. Germany - 628,000

Russians entering China will read correspondence in instant messengers

On May 27, 2019, it became known that smartphones of Russian tourists will be inspected at Chinese airports. Migration authorities will be able to check the contents of mobile devices, including correspondence in instant messengers, to make sure that the category of the issued visa and the real purpose of the trip comply. Read more here.

2018

Tourism revenue - $9 billion

Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg in the Mastercard rating

On September 5, 2019, it became known that MasterCard Global Destination Cities five the Russian cities were included in the world ranking:,,, and Moscow St. Petersburg. Novosibirsk Vladivostok Yekaterinburg

• Moscow in 2018 took 80th place MasterCard in the Global Destination Cities Index. During the year, 2.5 million foreign tourists visited the capital, who spent an average of 192 dollar per day. Compared to 2017, spending growth exceeded 52%. Most often, residents of the mainland visit Moscow, and China. Germany USA
• St. Petersburg took 118 position in the ranking. In 2018, 1.3 million tourists visited it, since 2009 their number has increased by 6%. The average amount spent by tourists per day was $269. Compared to last year, spending more than doubled (+ 117%);
• Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg complete the ranking of the most popular cities, taking 185, 190 and 200 places, respectively. In Novosibirsk, the volume of expenses amounted to $165 million (+ 117% compared to 2017), in Vladivostok - 184 million (+ 175%), and in Yekaterinburg - 85 million (+ 37%).

Russian cities in the Global Mastercard Destination Cities Index 2018

№	City	Number of foreign tourists in 2018 (million)	Expenses of foreign tourists in 2018 (US dollars)	Average length of stay (number of nights)	Average expense per day (US $)
80	Moscow	2.5	1.26 billion	2.6	192
118	St. Petersburg	1.3	642 million	1.9	269
185	0.4	184m	2.8	179
190	Novosibirsk	0.3	165 million	3.5	146
200	Yekaterinburg	0.2	85 million	3.0	170

2017

24.6 million foreign tourists In the Russian Federation

The Cabinet of Ministers introduces a resort fee of 100 rubles a day

The Russian government approved a bill on the introduction of a resort tax from January 1, 2018 in the Republic of Crimea, Altai Territory, Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol Territory, the press service of the Ministry of Caucasus reported. The fee will be no more than 100 rubles^[22]

In accordance with the bill, the regions have the right to introduce or not introduce a resort fee on their territory.

The second is that the regions themselves set the size of the fee. The bill defines only its maximum level - 100 rubles. per day.

The regions will establish the procedure and timing for calculating the resort fee, payment and transfer to the budget of the subject of the federation, as well as the procedure for informing about the results of the experiment, posting on the Internet information about the built, reconstructed, landscaped and repaired facilities of the resort infrastructure.

2016: GfK about a portrait of a traveler from Russia

Research company GfK has studied key trends that determine the portrait of the future consumer of travel services in Russia. The main findings of the study were outlined in a December 2016 industry report.

Here are just some figures and facts about travelers in Russia that help travel and transport companies, restaurateurs and hoteliers, city and territory administrations to develop successful development strategies and build successful brands.

Trends

1. One of the main trends that is actively forming today is the shift in consumer focus from "what I have" to "what I did."

The consumer defines himself and characterizes not by what he has - material things, but by what he did - where he was, what impressions he received, what experience he experienced. For a third of Russians, acquiring new impressions is more important than owning things.

2. Vacation is a source of impressions and new experience, so say three quarters of Russians: while on vacation, they try to see new places and try something new.

3. Despite the fact that in Russia, as in other countries, there is an advantage in favor of a relaxing vacation, active recreation with viewing many places, 40% of Russians like it, which is even slightly higher than world significance. Also, a significant proportion of Russians are interested in adventure vacations.

4. Russian tourists stand out for their interest in the world - the desire to know more about different peoples, countries and cultures. This is typical of half of Russians. Around the world, the figure is slightly lower - at the level of 42%.

5. Two-thirds of Russians like not only to study local culture, but also to try local cuisine, which can indicate good prospects for event and gastronomic tourism both in Russia and abroad.

The Impact of Technology

1. Mobile technologies and the Internet at this time are very tightly woven into the experience of travelers, both foreign and Russian. And the consumer himself has become more independent in his choice and travel planning.

2. In Russia, competition for the online consumer of tourist services is still developing. The level of concentration in the online services market is still low, and there is room for new players who can offer the consumer a unique experience.

Online travel services in Russia (by coverage)

• 1. Tutu.ru: 8,3%
• 2. Booking.com: 7,6%
• 3. Aviasales: 6,8%
• 4. TripAdvisor: 5,3%
• 5. Uber: 3,2%

Source: GfK Cross Media Panel Data, Sept. 2016

3. Mobile Internet gives a significant additional coverage of tourist sites (about 23%). The share of Internet users on mobile devices is close to 40%. Now multiscriners spend more than half the time on mobile devices, namely in applications. Therefore, we expect that applications will become an additional point of competition in the field of tourism and travel organization and not only.

4. Due to the fact that the center of power and control over information has shifted in favor of the consumer, it is more important than ever to understand the path to purchase and track the experience at each point of contact with the audience.

5. In a world where people rely on the experiences and recommendations of other consumers online, as well as feedback from professional travelers, native advertising gets a better chance of being perceived by the consumer.

6. Although search engines and contextual advertising still give a confident reach to the audience of tourist services, social networks, video hosting, video chats are already "breathing in their backs." According to the GfK cross-media panel, Vkontakte and Youtube give the greatest coverage to buyers of travel services. In addition, 40% of travelers in Russia use Viber.

Tourist brand of Russia

1. Russia has yet to realize the potential in the field of inbound tourism. In the list of international travel brands in the world, according to a study by Anholt-GfK, Russia is still on the 23rd line out of 50. In 2016, the country slightly improved its position in the perception of international tourists.

2. It will take work to improve the quality of the service - what a modern tourist appreciates, aimed at gaining impressions; accelerated infrastructure development is needed, which will make Russia closer for tourists. There is also a lot of work to promote the tourist brand of Russia abroad.

2015: Decrease in the number of tourist trips by 31% to 12.1 million

2015 turned out to be the worst year in the entire history of the outbound tourism business in Russia, the Russian Union of Travel Industry notes.

The total departure of Russians abroad decreased by almost 20%, amounting to 36 million 815.8 thousand trips, Rosstat said. In 2014, compared to 2013, the decrease was 15%.

According to Rosstat, travel abroad for tourism in 2015 decreased by 31.3% to 12 million 107.19 thousand trips^[23].

General Director of Intourist Viktor Topolkaraev predicts a fall in the outbound tourism market in 2016 to 5.5-6 million people, subject to the opening of Egypt for Russian tourists. Otherwise, the fall will be more significant.

All foreign destinations in the tourist market in Russia showed a negative result at the end of 2015. There is only one exception - Lithuania, which added almost 24%.

Turkey and Egypt, closed to Russians in November 2015, have so far retained the top two positions in the ranking of the most popular destinations and have not even become leaders in reducing indicators. Turkey lost 19% (in 2014 it was + 6%), Egypt - minus 28% (+ 34% in 2014), the PCT notes.

The first positions on the dynamics of reducing tourist flow from Russia were taken by distant and exotic countries:

• Indonesia (-96.6%),
• Tunisia (-83%),
• Dominicana (-82.5%),
• Mexico (-66.5%),
• Morocco (-64.4%),
• Hong Kong (-46%),
• Thailand (-46%),
• China (-45.5%),
• India (-43.7%),
• Maldives (-43.7%),
• Cuba (-43%).

Of the countries Europe , Greece showed the largest decline (-48%), moving from third to fifth place in the top ten. Of the other significant European directions, Bulgaria showed negative dynamics Spain , and Croatia: minus 41% each.

Also, the top ten European countries that lost the most tourists from Russia included:

• Malta (-41.6%),
• Portugal (-40.4%),
• Czech Republic (-36%),
• Italy (-35.6%),
• Sweden (-38%),
• Austria (-37.6%).

Of the 50 destinations, Vietnam has the best result, to which in 2014 the Russians increased travel by 30%, and in 2015 they reduced only by 5%.

In Europe, Montenegro occupies the most stable position, having lost only 7% of Russian tourist flow and maintaining the status of the only visa-free destination on the Mediterranean coast.

2014: Russians spent $50 billion on foreign trips in a year

Russians' spending on trips abroad in 2014 amounted to $50.3 billion, which is 3.2 billion less than in 2013. At the same time, a sharp reduction in expenses fell on the IV quarter of 2014, when the ruble collapsed. In the last quarter of the year, Russians spent $8.5 billion on foreign travel - 3.1 billion less than in the same period in 2013. These data were released by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

It is worth noting that the calculation did not take into account the costs of international transportation. The indicator reflects spending on accommodation, food, travel costs abroad. At the same time, we are talking not only about tourist trips, but also about business trips, medical tours, trips for the purpose^[24] the^[24].

2013: Russia No. 9 in the world in terms of the number of tourists - 28.4 million people

The World Tourism Organization has included Russia the top ten most visited countries in the world. She took the ninth line of the rating. According to the organization, in 2013, 28.4 million tourists visited Russia. The first place in the list is occupied by France almost 85 million people, in second place (USA 70 million), in third - (60 Spain million). Next in the list are,,, and China, and closes Italy Turkey Germany Great Britain the top ten Thailand.

According to Vyacheslav Krasko, a member of the Union of Circumnavigators, most tourists go to see Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"Those who arrived for a long time go to other cities of the Central Russia - along the Golden Ring, in. Kazan Those who love natural places go to Lake Baikal, take the famous train - which Vladivostok Moscow foreigners call vodkatrain - there are special cars for them. Some know about Kamchatka, volcanoes, geysers. These are the most popular places where tourists strive to go, "the traveler said.

1973

1957

See also

• Russia
• Online tourism (Russian market)

Notes