Domestic Travel Surges in Russia, with Southern and Siberian Regions Seeing Triple-Digit Growth

Russia's domestic tourism sector is showing strong momentum in early 2026, with 12 million people traveling within the country in January and February. According to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, that figure represents a 2.6% increase over the same period last year.

While traditional destinations like Moscow, the Krasnodar region, and St. Petersburg remain the most visited, the story is in the emerging hotspots. New entries in the top ten include the Tyumen and Irkutsk regions. Yet the most dramatic increases came from elsewhere. The city of Sevastopol saw tourist numbers jump by 337%, followed by North Ossetia-Alania (up 204%), the Karachay-Cherkess Republic (up 119%), Dagestan (up 106%), the Republic of Tuva (up 103%), and the Amur Region (up 74%).

The shift toward domestic travel appears to be part of a broader trend. A separate survey from the booking service KupiBilet found that 34% of Russians are now taking more trips inside the country. Many respondents cited a straightforward reason: traveling at home is simply less expensive than going abroad.