Russian Travelers Tighten Budgets as Overseas Tourism Faces Setbacks

The average Russian tourist now spends between 50,000 and 80,000 rubles per person on a foreign vacation, according to Artur Muradyan, vice president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) and CEO of Space Travel. Speaking to RIA Novosti, Muradyan noted that while tour operators still offer a wide range of destinations—accessible “even by horse”—sales in outbound tourism have dropped 15 to 20 percent compared to last year.

Since the start of the year, the industry has lost two key segments: Latin America and the Middle East. Muradyan warned this puts the sector on the edge of a systemic crisis. Competition now focuses on Turkey, Egypt, East Asia, and CIS countries, but without new destinations opening up, the market risks stagnation.

Muradyan does not predict mass bankruptcies, but he acknowledged that the number of players in the market could shrink. The squeeze reflects a broader reality: Russian travelers are spending less, and the options for where they can go are narrowing.