Russia's domestic tourism booms: travelers flock to home destinations
A surge in domestic Travel across Russia in 2025 reveals a significant shift in leisure habits, with nearly 174 million trips taken – a 7.4% increase from the previous year and nearly double the numbers seen in 2021. This isn't just a momentary blip; it’s a sustained trend reshaping the Russian Travel landscape.
Local escapes gain momentum
The figures, compiled by Sberbank, highlight a resilient domestic tourism sector, demonstrating a preference for exploring Russia's diverse regions despite external pressures. Moscow remains the dominant destination, drawing over one-third of all internal journeys, followed closely by its surrounding region. St. Petersburg and Krasnodar Krai also saw strong growth, fueled by heritage sites, urban appeal, and coastal attractions. A remarkable 10 zones account for over 50% of all movement, illustrating a concentration of Travel within specific areas.
The typical Russian traveler in 2025 was 44 years old, with those under 30 favoring urban destinations like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Women comprised just over half of all travelers, with destinations like Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg proving particularly popular. Interestingly, routes to Siberia and the far east largely attracted male travelers, revealing a clear gender divide in regional preferences.
Spending on domestic tourism reached approximately 1.94 trillion rubles in 2025, a 44.8% increase compared to 2021. Digital payments dominated, accounting for 68.2% of all transactions. While Moscow and Krasnodar Krai presented higher daily costs, remote areas like Chukotka saw the most significant expenditure. The average daily spending per traveler reached 1,365 rubles, an 8.7% rise.
Growth isn't uniform. The Leningrad Region, Moscow, and Sverdlovsk Region experienced sharp increases driven by infrastructure development and growing regional interest. While urban trips remained shorter, rural destinations encouraged longer stays, suggesting a desire for deeper exploration. This trend points to a recalibration of Travel priorities, with a greater emphasis on quality experiences and regional discovery.
Companies are responding to this shift by investing in premium goods, enhanced facilities, and tailored services in areas with high growth potential. The resilience of Russia’s domestic tourism isn’t built on grand schemes but on adaptable practices across regions. It's a quiet momentum, shaped not by policy but by evolving habits. The numbers speak to a fundamental reshaping of how Russians choose to spend their leisure time – and the country is poised to capitalize.
The rise in domestic tourism isn't just a temporary reprieve. It represents a fundamental repositioning of Russia's Travel industry. With a growing preference for local experiences and increasing disposable incomes, the future of Russian tourism appears firmly rooted at home.