Across all surveyed markets, demand concentrated on visa-free, direct-flight destinations—Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Maldives and Sri Lanka—while Europe, especially Greece, remained weak due to expensive visas and limited direct connectivity. The UAE was the key recovery watch: interest…
Russian carrier Azur Air, the country's largest charter airline, which is affiliated with tour operator Anex Tour, plans to operate flights from Moscow to five foreign resort destinations during the autumn-winter 2026/2027 schedule, a company representative told journalists.…
Egypt has become the most popular foreign destination for family trips during the autumn school holidays, overtaking Turkey, according to analysts at ATOR. Thailand, China, Vietnam and the UAE are also in the top ranking, with demand for China growing fastest. The analytical material was prepared…
August 2026 proved to be a month of cautious recovery and shifting preferences across the Russian and CIS travel agencies. Based on face‑to‑face interviews with 206 travel agents across multiple cities, a clear picture emerges: mass‑market beach destinations continue to dominate,…
Russia’s border service reports a solid 10.5% year-on-year increase in outbound tourist trips during the first half of 2026, with a total of 6.3 million leisure trips recorded. Overall, Russian citizens made 14,244,022 international journeys for all purposes between January and June, meaning tourism…
If you work in hospitality, aviation, or inbound tourism, you likely encounter Russian travellers on a regular basis. One of the most common practical questions to our editorial team is: “Does a Russian national need a visa to enter our country?” To help you serve your guests better and streamline…
The July 2026 sales calls data reveals that a Russian outbound tourism market is deeply conservative in its destination choices. Turkey, Egypt, and Vietnam dominate sales, while secondary destinations like Thailand, the Maldives, China, and the UAE maintain steady demand. European destinations remain…
As follows from the data of the Onlinetours package tour booking service, in Russia, the average check for foreign tours in the first half of 2026 increased to 196,500 rubles ($2,500), or by 7% compared to the same period in 2025. The demand for trips abroad increased by 44%.
June 2026 analysis from Baginet by recent meetings with travel agencies across Russia reveals a polarized market. While mass-market beach destinations continue to dominate, there is a growing interest in unique, safe alternatives, particularly in Asia.
May 2026 analysis from Baginet expresses strong interest in resuming UAE sales immediately after restrictions are lifted. A total of 148 interviews were conducted by Baginet team with managers and general directors of tour agencies and tour operators across…
The number of travel agencies in Russia is declining sharply. In Q1 2026, company liquidations surged by 34.2% year-on-year to 1,200, while new business registrations remained flat. The total number of travel agency offices across million-plus cities fell by 1.6% to 6,400.
Russia's Ministry of Economic Development has announced that visa-free regimes with Malaysia, Kuwait, and Bahrain are expected to be introduced soon. According to the ministry, these destinations may become accessible without visas in the near future. Currently, Russian citizens can visit 86 countries…
April 2026 sales in Russia and CIS travel agencies are characterized by a complete halt of UAE revenue and a strong but incomplete pivot to Southeast Asia (Vietnam/Thailand) and Turkey, according to the meetings with travel agents conducted by Baginet team. A total of 135 sales calls were made across…
Film tourism is a new trend among Russian travelers, where tourists travel to the filming locations of their favorite movies and TV series. The number of inquiries and bookings for such trips has increased by almost a quarter. According to the travel marketplace YouTravel.me, this trend is driven…
March 2026 Sales Analysis by Baginet shows that the market is in a holding pattern, with travel agencies awaiting clarity on Middle East stability. A total of 137 interviews were conducted by Baginet team with general managers and managers of travel agencies…
February sales analysis from Baginet shows a steady interest toward visa‑free beach destinations, with the UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Thailand leading the market. European countries like Greece maintain a niche but are constrained by bureaucratic hurdles. The analysis below is based on the February 2026…
The February tourist flow continues to show a trend towards geographical diversification, which began in January. Based on data from the tour aggregator Sletat.ru the picture of sales and search interest of tourists for February 2026 included in the top ten:
January 2026 analysis from Baginet by recent meetings with travel agencies show a pragmatic preference for value, convenience, and certainty. This review is based on direct conversations with 136 tour agency representatives (general managers and senior travel consultants) across…
The Russian hotel market has undergone systemic changes in recent years, with both the balance of power in terms of management and the approach to replenishing hotel rooms among the largest players shifting.
Chain management companies have held and continue to hold a dominant position in…
According to Rosaviatsia data presented in September and October 2025, Russia currently has direct air service to 41 countries. International passenger flights from Russia are operated by 21 Russian airlines and 65 foreign ones.
Seven destinations (India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cuba, the Maldives,…
