Russia’s outbound travel: The number of visitors to neighboring countries has increased

Russians are increasingly turning to both the road and the air, seemingly driven by geopolitical pressures and economic challenges in search of sunny vacations and cultural experiences abroad. According to the latest data from the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia, trips abroad to Russia have increased significantly, with 10.35 million trips recorded in the third quarter alone – a 5.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The total for the first nine months of the year reached 24 million, representing 6.75% year-over-year growth and the strongest quarter since late 2019.

This rebound effectively ends the period of decline prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, highlighting the role of tourism as an open valve for travel demand. It seems that Russians travel not only for fun but also in search of normalcy. Analysts from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) suggested carefully examining raw border data to distinguish genuine tourist movements from widespread migration patterns.

Local Neighbors: Moderate but steady flow

While the broad figures are impressive, a more detailed examination reveals some interesting aspects. Of the 24 million departures between January and September, about 37.2% – or 10.81 million – remained in the region, particularly targeting former Soviet states and territories such as Abkhazia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia and Uzbekistan. Growth in this region was relatively modest at just 1.9% year-on-year, driven more by regular cross-border travel than by holiday travel.

Abkhazia is particularly noteworthy, accounting for 4.58 million “visits” from Russian citizens – nearly half to nearby destinations. However, ATOR offers a slightly different perspective, noting that considering this number is exceeded by two Abkhazians every day, thus artificially increasing the number. Early estimates put actual tourist arrivals closer to 1.37 million, with nearly half made up of short-day trips from Russia’s Krasnodar region. This is clearly less than the often quoted figure of 5-6 million, and is almost a quarter of the volume for the popular Turkey.

If Abkhazia is taken out of the equation, outbound trips increase by 4.8%. Georgia and Uzbekistan experienced leading gains of 12.6% and 11.9% respectively, perhaps thanks to greater appeal for leisure travel. Kazakhstan (+7.6%) and Armenia (+6.3%) followed, while Tajikistan’s modest 5.6% growth was mainly due to business-related travel. Declines were observed in Azerbaijan (-17.4%), Kyrgyzstan (-6.4%), and Turkmenistan (-35.9%), suggesting that non-tourism factors are more important.

Growing influence in Asia and beyond

The most significant gains were seen in non-CIS destinations, where tourism-focused trips to 32 popular destinations – from Turkey to Tunisia – increased by 12.9% to 13.46 million trips. Taking figures adjusted for Abkhazia into account, total Russian outbound travel reached nearly 14.8 million, a 12.2% increase from 2024’s 13.2 million.

Vietnam emerged as the star performer with a phenomenal 173% increase, breaking into sixth place out of 10, largely thanks to charter flights from 18 Russian cities. Japan followed with a 103% increase, exceeding 2019 levels despite limited direct connections, with passengers using connecting flights. Egypt completes the top three with a 36.8% increase, expanding flight networks and attracting beach tourists year-round.

Indonesia (+33.3%) benefited from new flight routes to Bali, while China (+26.6%) benefited from visa-free entry in September and increased air capacity. The Maldives (+22.4%) and South Korea (+15.2%) rounded out the top seven, with around 40% of Russian travelers arriving in the Maldives via a stopover in the UAE.

Not every destination experiences growth. Cuba saw a decline due to a reduction in flights, Serbia due to reduced demand, and Sri Lanka and Qatar had relatively small declines in the 15th.

Cautious optimism in the midst of uncertainty

Smaller destinations are also showing significant growth, often from relatively small bases. Tunisia experienced a surprising increase of 406% to 22,425 visits, helped by new direct flights. Jordan grew 104% to 5,549 visits, North Korea grew 60.8% to 7,499 visits due to the opening of new resorts, and Kuwait saw a 31.2% increase linked to transit opportunities.

Morocco was supported by more direct flights, up 57.4% to 307,807 visits, Saudi Arabia increased by 36.3% to 36,089 visits since its launch in August, and double-digit increases were recorded for Bahrain, Oman and the Seychelles.

Temporary positivity despite potential issues

This increase – compared to the nearly 11 million trips seen in late 2019 alone –That suggests a significant release of travel demand, as airlines and travel companies struggle to keep pace. However, ATOR notes that the overall number of borders with labor movements collides with tourism, and risks persist: changes in ruble values, travel restrictions, and global instability can disrupt development.

For Russia’s population of 144 million, the conclusion is clear: there are opportunities abroad, and they are responding in unprecedented volumes. Looking ahead to winter, the focus will shift to the fourth quarter—will the holiday season maintain its upward trajectory, or will it slow down as snow begins to fall?

Top 10 tourist destinations abroad in the first three quarters of 2025