Demand for foreign travel among Russians has sharply increased because of strengthening of the ruble

The number of hotel bookings and sales of tours abroad increased sharply against the background of the strengthening of the ruble. The favorable rate encourages tourists from Russia to plan future trips, thanks to which tours for autumn and winter are sold, experts say.

According to SberCIB, from the beginning of the year to the end of March, the ruble strengthened by 16%. As of March 29, the Bank of Russia exchange rate was 83.68 rubles per $1 and 89.66 rubles per €1.

According to Yandex Travel analysts, the number of hotel bookings abroad in the period from February 5 to March 11, 2025 increased by 20% compared to the previous 36 days. According to the calculations of the online hotel booking service Ostrovok, the number of bookings for accommodation abroad in March increased by 20% compared to February (a year earlier, the seasonal increase did not exceed 13%).

The number of tours sold in a month increased by 9%, Travelata.ru reported. According to Sletat.ru, sales of tours abroad increased by 44.3% year-on-year. Fun & Sun reported that in February, sales volume increased by 60% year-on-year, and in March — by 67%.

According to Ostrovok, in March, the average price of a booked night abroad was 4% lower than in February, and amounted to 8,800 rubles. According to Yandex Travel, in the period from February 5 to March 11, the average cost of a flight to foreign countries decreased by 6%, to 30,800 rubles.

The company recorded a significant increase in the number of bookings for trips to South Korea, Japan and Indonesia. Interest in the Maldives increased by 27.9% in March, Sletat.ru noted.