Number of outbound tourists from Russia 2023, by territory

In 2023, Abkhazia was the most popular outbound destination of Russians travelling for tourism purposes. In total, Russian tourists made 5.7 million trips to Abkhazia over that period. Abkhazia is recognized as a separate territory by the Russian government; however, most countries recognize it as part of Georgia. The number of tourist trips to Turkey was only slightly lower, having amounted to roughly 5.6 million. Moreover, Abkhazia and Turkey topped the ranking of the leading outbound travel destinations of Russians for all purposes.

Russia is the main source of inbound tourism in Turkey

The highest number of international tourists visiting Turkey comes from Russia, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). The arrival count from Russia dropped by 70 percent in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. In 2023, the number of arrivals was below pre-pandemic levels, though it has increased steadily since 2020.

Russians' travel destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, when COVID-19 started to spread in Russia, international flights were suspended, and they were resumed only with several countries from the summer of 2020. Thus, most Russians spent their vacations in the country in that year. The Krasnodar Krai on the Black Sea was the most popular summer travel destination in 2020. Other attractive tourist spots included the Republic of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, the two largest cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the Caucasian Mineral Waters for medical tourism, and Lake Baikal for environmental tourism. Travel to most EU countries remained challenging for Russians in 2021 because none of the domestic COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Among international destinations, Turkey maintained its leading position, while the Seychelles, the Maldives, and Tanzania gained popularity among the tourists.