Russian Travel Blogger Points to Regions Losing Their Luster

Travel blogger Elena Liseykina has identified several Russian regions where domestic tourist interest is waning, based on her analysis of official 2024-2025 tourism statistics. In a post for her 'Travels with a Camera' blog on the Dzen platform, she noted a distinct drop in visits to Dagestan.

Liseykina suggests Dagestan's infrastructure failed to keep pace with its initial popularity. A shortage of hotels, inconsistent service, and rising prices coincided with a deeper issue: the region, she wrote, 'has not become a place where people return.' Visitors came, saw the sights, took photos, but most saw little reason for a repeat trip. The first wave of curiosity receded without attracting a new audience.

The analysis also highlights a decline in excursion tourism to the Novgorod region since autumn 2025, which Liseykina says is still not viewed as a standalone destination, relying instead on visitors from St. Petersburg. The Republic of Tuva also saw popularity fade as its novelty wore off. 'The infrastructure hasn't grown enough to maintain the flow,' Liseykina noted, citing few hotels and difficult travel routes.

Other areas on the list include the Rostov region, where dedicated holiday travel decreased though transit traffic remains, alongside the Republic of North Ossetia, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug–Yugra, the Komi Republic, and the Krasnodar Territory. Liseykina previously made similar observations about international destinations Russians are now avoiding.