Russians are more likely to travel at the last minute

Russian tourists are increasingly deciding to travel shortly before departure - a couple of weeks, and sometimes a few days. This trend is recorded by aggregators, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said at a meeting of the government commission on tourism development in Kirovsk. This was reported in the office of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

For the upcoming winter season, the Ministry of Economic Development predicts about 32 million tourist trips around the country - about the same as a year earlier. Among the main directions Reshetnikov named large cities, regions with guaranteed snow, ski resorts and short trips outside the city.

Chernyshenko urged the regions to compete for tourists not only among themselves, but also with foreign destinations. “The immediate task is to ensure an effective winter season to increase the pace,” the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.

Over the nine months of 2026, about 71 million tourist trips were made in Russia, Chernyshenko said. Incoming tourist flow, according to him, grew by 17.5%. At the end of the year, the authorities expect more than 6 million trips of foreign tourists.

About the reduction of terms between booking and departure tour operators told on the air of Radio RBC in October. Dmitry Arutyunov, founder and general director of ART-TUR, noted that tourists used to book vacations for several months, and now applications often arrive one or two weeks before departure.

Hotel operator Alean Collection also noted a reduction in the depth of bookings for the New Year holidays. According to the CEO of the company Olga Akimova, guests often make decisions closer to the trip, so a more definite estimate of the holiday demand can be given in November.