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 accounted for approximately 44.2% of all cross-border movements. The traditional big three—Turkey, Egypt, and China—remain firmly at the top of the destination chart. However, the rankings also reveal stark contrasts, with Vietnam posting explosive growth while the UAE saw significant double-digit declines due to geopolitical instability.
Top 10 Most Popular Tourist Destinations (H1 2026):
- Turkey – 1.79 million trips (+3.7%)
- Egypt – 960,490 trips (+26.9%)
- China – 936,700 trips (+61%)
- Thailand – 480,000 trips (–3.5%)
- UAE – 451,600 trips (–45.68%)
- Vietnam – 379,570 trips (up 5.4x)
- Armenia – 213,230 trips (+33%)
- Abkhazia – 181,100 trips (–34.5%)
- Uzbekistan – 165,260 trips (+55%)
- Georgia – 155,000 trips (+24.2%)
While overall numbers are growing, the data highlights how geopolitical friction continues to reshape travel patterns—the UAE’s sharp drop is attributed to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Conversely, Asian destinations like China, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan are capturing an ever-larger share of the Russian outbound market.
Photo by ITB China 2026 post-tour team
