According to experts, the February holidays have seen a surge in travel to Russia, with Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sochi emerging as the top destinations for air travel during this period in 2024. This information was reported by Azernews, citing Tutu.ru.
Among the top 10 most popular air travel destinations during the holidays are also Mineralnye Vody, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen, and Samara. Additionally, flights to neighboring countries remain popular, with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Tajikistan leading the way among foreign destinations.
Statistics reveal that the majority of Russian travelers prefer domestic destinations, with cities within the Russian Federation accounting for 81.2 percent of air bookings and 97.56 percent of rail trips. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kaliningrad, and Yekaterinburg are among the most sought-after air destinations during this period.
In terms of rail travel, the highest number of trips during the February holidays is anticipated to the two capitals, as well as to Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Adler, Yekaterinburg, Simferopol, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod, and Voronezh.
It’s noteworthy that last year, 480,000 citizens of Azerbaijan visited Russia, marking a notable increase of 45.4% compared to 2022. This has positioned Azerbaijan among the top 10 countries in terms of citizens visiting Russia. Overall, the total number of foreign tourists visiting Russia saw an 18.6% year-on-year increase, reaching 15.48 million people.
In 2023, the highest number of visitors to Russia came from Kazakhstan, with 3.16 million people, marking a 26.7% increase compared to 2022. Uzbekistan followed closely behind with 3.11 million visitors, representing a significant 51.8% increase over the previous year. Tajikistan secured the third spot with 2.15 million visitors, showing a notable 36.1% increase compared to the previous year. Kyrgyzstan and China also contributed significantly, with 1.14 million and 790 thousand visitors, respectively, showing positive growth trends compared to the preceding year.
