Where Russians prefer to rest. Where Russians are loved most Train or plane

Economist, mathematician. 30 years of experience in government statistics. Date: June 11, 2019. Reading time 7 minutes

In 2018, our fellow citizens most often rested in Turkey (1.6%) and Abkhazia (10.7%). They have made almost 42 million trips abroad. Of the 8.9 million Russian tourists, 5.6 million chose abroad. In the Russian Federation, the most popular regions for recreation are the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Crimea.

According to the unofficial estimates of experts from the online booking service, Russians go on vacation both in their homeland and in overseas regions. More than half (56%) of Russian citizens have made at least one trip in Russia over the past year, and 29% - abroad. This is not just about a beach holiday. But the choice in favor of the cultural one for our fellow citizens is not uncommon (sightseeing tours in cities, sightseeing). They also visited their friends and relatives. A considerable number of them (39%) went on trips around the country twice, and 17% - three times, abroad - 26 and 14%, respectively.

According to government statistics, domestic travel agents and operators sent 8.9 million people on a trip. More than half of them (63.1%) preferred a vacation abroad.

Table 1. The number of Russian tourists sent on a trip, thousand people

Source: Rosstat

Moreover, the Russians rest not only during the vacation period. They are actively used for trips on weekends on New Year's or May holidays.

Domestic tourism

More and more Russian citizens choose Russian regions for travel. Their share has grown since 2014 from 23.3% of all domestic tourists to 36.9% in 2017. The reasons for this are different:

• an increase in the exchange rate of foreign currencies and, as a result, an increase in the cost of travel abroad;
• a decrease in the level of income of our compatriots;
• new interesting offers from tour operators, new areas of recreation in the country, etc.

According to state statistics, the most popular destinations in 2017 were the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Crimea. The interest of our fellow citizens in the metropolitan cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg does not subside.

ATOR experts allow us to estimate the internal organized tourist flow for 2018. Their predictions of zero growth did not come true. It was 8-10%.

Resorts in the south of Russia remain popular: Krasnodar Territory, Crimea and Stavropol Territory. Leadership in excursion demand for:

• St. Petersburg,
• Moscow,
• Kazan,
• Kaliningrad,
• Moscow region,
• cities of the Golden Ring,
• Karelia,
• Veliky Ustyug (in winter).

Among the novelties of excursion tourism:

• Altai, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk from ANEX Tour;
• Kazan, Veliky Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Karelia, Pskov, Tula region, Tver from Intourist;
• Tula, declared the New Year's capital of Russia;
• adventure tours to the Urals.

Travel abroad

The year 2015 was the most difficult year for the country's tourism industry in the entire history of the existence of private business in our country. The flow of tourists abroad decreased by 31% compared to the previous 2014 (from 42,921 thousand trips to 34,390 thousand). Tour operators had to face a sharp drop in demand for travel packages abroad. The de facto ban on organized travel to Egypt and Turkey played an important role. Many regional offices were closed.

Many Russians have temporarily decided to give up their holiday abroad. The consequences of which have been felt by more than one country. To return the Russian tourist back, they are ready to make concessions, even financially help our companies. And potential travelers from our country are promised discounts in hotels, reimbursement of expenses, settlements in rubles, even entry without a passport. The measures taken have had their effect.

Having decreased by another 8% in 2016, the tourist flow began to grow. At the end of 2018, 41,964 thousand trips were recorded.

The number of Russians sent abroad by travel agencies is also growing. Official statistics are published only for 2017.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) estimates the number of Russian citizens who left the country on tour packages for 9 months of 2018, within 12 million.

table2. The number of Russian tourists who went on tours in Russia and abroad

Source: Rosstat

For information ... Since 2014, the counting of tourists has been carried out by Rosstat in accordance with the recommendationsUNWTO(World Tourism Organization), which refers to those who declare the purpose of the trip in this way, as well as those who travel by private invitation, for treatment, on business, for food or other goods to a neighboring country, etc.

Table 3. The number of outbound tourist trips of Russian citizens abroad

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Total, thousand	42921	34390	31659	39629	41964
from them to countries:
Europe
Finland	4283	3067	2894	3333	3361
Ukraine	2558	1657	1804	2283	2290
Estonia	1775	1477	1511	1728	1798
Germany	1435	1111	1057	1229	1297
Poland	1608	1322	1104	1230	1093
Italy	994	662	710	893	1086
Spain	1140	693	790	929	961
Greece	1165	634	782	856	808
Asia
Turkey	4216	3460	797	4520	5719
Abkhazia	3282	3824	4257	4344	4496
Kazakhstan	3330	3125	2850	2978	2955
China	1731	1284	1676	2003	2018
Georgia	532	651	742	1003	1233
Thailand	1250	675	867	1094	1173
Africa
Tunisia	260	49	624	520	611
Egypt	2880	2244	0,3	0,4	0
America
Dominican Republic	163	36	132	230	217
USA	310	237	225	238	213
Cuba	54	32	45	75	106

Source: Rosstat

In-demand destinations

According to statistics published by Rosstat, 22.6 million trips were made to the countries included in the TOP-7 in 2018, which is 53.9% of the annual tourist flow. In 2014 - 22.3 million and 52%, respectively.

Turkey, Abkhazia, Finland, Ukraine, Estonia, and Kazakhstan are still attractive to Russians. Of these, our tourists showed an increased interest in the following destinations: Abkhazia (137% by 2014) and Turkey (135.6%).

On the contrary, over 4 years the flow decreased to Ukraine (by 10.5%), Kazakhstan (by 11.3%), Finland (by 21.5%)

An excursion into history

The very first example of Soviet outbound (or foreign) tourism falls on 1930, when 257 shock workers of the first five-year plan went on a cruise trip around Europe on the motor ship "Abkhazia". Their route included: Leningrad – Danzig – Hamburg – Naples – Constantinople – Odessa – Moscow.

Until the second half of the 1950s, which is almost a quarter of a century, there was no foreign tourism in the country of Soviets.

It was possible to travel abroad from Soviet Russia mainly via Intourist. But since 1958, the Bureau of International Youth Tourism (BMMT) "Sputnik" has also taken up this work.

Until 1985, the trips of citizens from the USSR were not reflected in any way in state statistics. It is possible to provide only information on the number of tourist trips abroad:

• 1987 – 920;
• 1988 – 1041;
• 1989 – 1650;
• 1990 – 2150.

Moreover, it is not possible to single out data on the RSFSR.

Forecasts

ATOR analysts predict that in 2019 20% of domestic travel companies will leave the market, which do not have reserves for a rainy day. The reason for this is the reduction in the income of the population. The role of large organizations will increase, and small and medium-sized ones will be hit.

It is assumed that Russians in 2019 will continue to save on travel abroad:

• reduce rest periods;
• book holidays in low season;
• choose cheaper hotels;
• will pay attention to the resorts of Russia.

In the TOP-5 domestic destinations, we will again see the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan.

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The summer season of 2018 demonstrated a redistribution of Russian demand towards mass and close destinations with "all inclusive". The most popular holiday countries and the preferences of tourists in the summer of 2018 are in the material of the ATOR Vestnik.

The weakening of the ruble and the fall in the real disposable income of the population pushed demand in the summer of 2018 towards several massive and relatively cheap destinations. In the segment of outbound tourism, destinations with large volumes of charter transportation and the prevailing all-inclusive system are confidently entrenched in the leaders, which allows tourists to significantly save on the final price of the trip.

All these factors led to a peculiar picture of the distribution of organized summer tourist traffic in 2018. Despite the negative economic background, Russian tourists are not yet ready to give up travel for the sake of saving. Such cost-cutting tools as changing directions to cheaper ones, saving on excursions and duration of rest are being used.

According to a preliminary analysis, in the summer of 2018, more organized tourists rested both abroad and in Russia than a year earlier, however, due to the redistribution of demand, almost the entire increase in outbound tourist traffic can be attributed to Turkey.

FACTORS AFFECTING SUMMER DEMAND

The high-profile bankruptcies of some small tour operators, according to market experts, practically did not affect outbound tourism this year: the scale of losses was relatively small, and the niches of weak players were almost immediately occupied by financially stable companies.

The successful pace of early booking gave market players the illusion of a very significant increase in demand for outbound destinations in the 2018 summer season. Early booking in 2018 was unique for the market: according to tour operators, up to 40% of planned programs in mass destinations were sold by April of this year. The largest volume was sold in Turkey and Tunisia. The European destinations - Greece, Bulgaria, Spain - were sold to a lesser extent.

Until April of this year, up to 40% of the planned programs in mass directions were sold. The largest volume was sold in Turkey and Tunisia. The European destinations - Greece, Bulgaria, Spain - were sold to a lesser extent.

In April, when the first jump in exchange rates took place, the demand for foreign destinations "froze", according to the agencies interviewed by ATOR Vestnik. Participants in the retail market point out that with each subsequent jump in exchange rates, demand "froze" for at least 7-10 days. “Despite the successful start of sales, due to currency fluctuations, the last month of the summer was extremely uneven. We began to notice signs of stabilization in demand only at the very end of August, ”says Anna Podgornaya, CEO of PEGAS Touristik.

All these factors combined have led to the fact that the traditional summer adjustments to charter programs have become more significant in 2018. At the same time, a massive reduction in flight programs by tour operators from initially overestimated plans occurred in June, the remaining ones were reduced in July.

WHO RECEIVED THE "GOLD"

The undisputed leader of the 2018 summer season was -. According to preliminary forecasts of tour operators, by the end of 2018, the number of Russian tourists in Turkey will grow by 15% compared to last year - i.e. up to 5.4 million people.

Even after the optimization of transportation on the direction, there was some excess of it. Thus, in July, the cost of a flight in a package reached $ 50, with a real cost of more than $ 300. Cheap Turkey has become one of the factors that pulled tourists away from other foreign destinations, which, against the backdrop of a weak ruble, rose in price.

Average prices in the Turkish direction ranged from 65.1 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season up to 70 thousand rubles. in early September, reaching a peak in late June and early August (77-80 thousand rubles). Note that these amounts already include all-inclusive meals, unlike most other areas. This largely predetermined the success of the Turkish product.

SECOND PLACE - RUSSIA

In second place among organized tourists -. According to the aggregated estimates of tour operators, up to 2.5 million organized domestic tourists have visited the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea this summer. The share of organized tourism in the South of Russia this season, according to preliminary estimates, amounted to 1/5 of the total flow to the Black Sea resorts, having remained approximately at the last year's level or slightly increased.

Sales were supported by two factors. Firstly, it is the loyal pricing policy of hoteliers who have learned from the mistakes of the “cold” (in every sense) summer of 2017, when prices were inflated after a successful 2016. Second, the weakening of the ruble against major currencies played an important role, making planned trips abroad inaccessible for many and prompting them to search for cheap options within the country.

One of the largest players in the direction, Biblio-Globus, has a flow to the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea increased by 15% compared to last year. According to the calculations of Vestnik ATOR, this tour operator alone in the summer beach season of 2018 sent about 930 thousand tourists to the resorts of the South of Russia.

In addition, as the heads of travel agency networks note, more and more people are restricted to travel abroad. “If there is one family member who is not allowed to travel abroad, then all other family members (usually three more people) will choose rest in domestic resorts,” Aleksan Mkrtchyan, head of the Pink Elephant travel agency network, rightly notes.

More than 50% of domestic organized tourists chose Sochi in the 2018 summer season. The rest are Crimea, Anapa and Gelendzhik. The most significant growth in demand is observed in Greater Sochi and the Crimea. The best growth for Sochi was given by August - this can be explained both by the excellent weather, and by the fact that the average prices in hotels in the Krasnodar Territory during this period approached Turkish (comparing 3 * properties with "all inclusive"), and prices for tours with breakfasts were significant below Turkey.

More than 50% of domestic organized tourists chose Sochi in the 2018 summer season. The rest are Crimea, Anapa and Gelendzhik. The most significant growth in demand compared to last year is observed in Greater Sochi and the Crimea.

Crimea also gave a good increase compared to last year in the organized segment - the opening of the bridge fueled interest in the direction. Domestic tourism, which forms package tours with flights, has become a significant factor.

“The interest in tours to Crimea exceeded the figures for the same period last year by 27%, while the demand for land-based accommodation in Crimea increased by 1.5 times. The leaders in demand are the resorts of the southern coast of Crimea from Yalta to Alushta, followed by the resorts of the East and West coasts in popularity, ”says Biblio-Globus.

For almost the entire season, the three main mass organized destinations - Crimea, Sochi and Anapa - replaced each other in the leaders in terms of the availability of tours, based on average prices.

Average prices for tours to Crimea started at the beginning of the season from 34.5 thousand rubles. for a seven-day tour for two, reaching a maximum in early August (52 thousand rubles) and dropping in early September to 45.5 thousand rubles.

Average prices for tours to Sochi ranged from 40.1 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the end of May up to the same 40 thousand rubles. in early September, rising during the season. Average prices peaked in mid-June - RUB 63,000.

Anapa showed practically the same starting prices in late May and early September, but the peak at the average price was at the beginning of August - 56 thousand rubles.

Despite the low values ​​of the average prices for Russian resorts, it is necessary to understand that to a large extent these figures were achieved due to a large number of offers from objects 1-3 *, without meals or with breakfast meals.

"BRONZE" GOES TO GREECE

Greece ranks third in terms of the volume of organized tourists sent. “In Greece, in the summer of 2018, island vacations were the most popular, first of all Crete, followed by Rhodes and Corfu,” the press service of TUI Russia says. Traditionally, tours with AI and FB meals are most in demand among organized tourists in Greece.

This summer, Greece's share of tour operators' sales fell by about 2-3 percentage points. Summer sales followed, falling short of the target. Tour operators and retail players believe that the reason for this is the weakening of the ruble against the euro and, as a result, the rise in prices in the Greek direction.

In Greece, the summer of 2018 was the most popular island holiday, primarily Crete, followed by Rhodes and Corfu.

Tour operators had to adjust their flight programs: adjustments were made in all regions of Russia from the beginning of the season and practically until the end of it. On average in the market, transportation to Greece was reduced by 15%, with reductions in both the regions and the capital. Tickets to Greece "burned out" in August as well. On average, the market reduction in tourist flow to Greece in the summer season could be up to 10% of.

Average prices in the Greek direction ranged from 50.1 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season up to 90 thousand rubles. in early September, reaching a peak in early July (80 thousand rubles).

WHO ELSE WAS INTO TOP-10 OF ORGANIZED TOURISTS

The top three countries are followed by Tunisia, Cyprus and Spain. Organized demand in Tunisia, compared to last year, increased in the summer from 5% to 15% among major market players. The tour operator Coral Travel is in second place in the summer TOP-3 destinations of Tunisia. At Biblio-Globus, as of early August, sales of tours to Tunisia have already exceeded sales for the entire summer period of 2017. At the same time, the company notes a high percentage of returning tourists to the Tunisian direction, including those who return to the same favorite hotel from year to year.

The popularity of the direction was not even undermined. In just three summer months, about 360 thousand Russians have rested in Tunisia. It is expected that by the end of 2018, Tunisia will show better results than last year, approaching the figure of 580-600 thousand tourists from Russia.

Average prices for tours to Tunisia started at 63 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season and gradually increased to 77 thousand rubles. in the beginning of September.

The demand for Cyprus in the organized segment is approximately equal to the last year, some tour operators note an increase of 5-10%, some - a drop in demand. Nevertheless, the total tourist flow from Russia to the island has decreased. Average prices for tours to Cyprus ranged from 63 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season up to 73.6 thousand rubles. in early September, reaching a peak in late July and August (80 thousand rubles)

Most of the Russian tourist arrivals in Spain this summer had to. Spain has become the most economically profitable destination for tour operators this season.

Most of the Russian tourist arrivals in Spain this summer had to. Spain has become the most economically profitable destination for tour operators this season. A number of market participants note an increase in organized demand in Spain up to 18% in comparison with the previous year. By the way, Spain became one of the few destinations this summer for which no adjustments were made to flight programs.

Average prices in the Spanish direction ranged from 87.2 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season up to 92.1 thousand rubles. in early September, reaching a peak in the third decade of August (123 thousand rubles).

Thailand also entered the TOP 10 summer destinations in 2018. This direction even got into the summer TOP-5 of such large tour operators as PEGAS Touristik (4th place) and ANEX Tour (5th place). Average prices for tours to Thailand started at 90 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season, then decreased at the end of June to 75 thousand rubles. and then gradually increased - up to 112 thousand rubles. for a seven-day tour for two in early September.

Also in the top ten - traditionally popular with Russian family tourists, which showed a decrease in tourist traffic in June and July - it amounted to 8% and 16% year-on-year, respectively. The decrease in volumes in Bulgaria was influenced by both Turkey and the expensive euro and the peculiarities of the loading of the direction by European tourists.

Flight programs to Bulgaria on average in the market have been optimized by 20%. In particular, the transportation on I Fly was reduced - tourists were transferred to Bulgaria air. Average prices in the Bulgarian direction ranged from 58 thousand rubles. for two for a seven-day tour at the beginning of the season up to 50 thousand rubles. in early September, reaching a peak in early August (72 thousand rubles)

Among other popular destinations this summer, we note that they remained at the level of last year, as well as (slight decline) with (results at the level of last year or slightly lower).

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Summer is approaching and it is already becoming clear that Russians do not intend to deny themselves a vacation. Despite the fact that the incomes of the overwhelming majority of the population have not increased, and prices have grown at the same time, people nevertheless manage to snatch money from their budget for summer travel.

Only priorities have changed: instead of expensive resorts, many choose budget ones. And those who decide to go on foreign tours, began to save on the duration of the vacation: now tours are on average 5-6 days instead of 11-12 last year.

Anapa and Novorossiysk instead of Sochi

The choice of destinations for recreation is dictated primarily by the capabilities of the wallet. The majority prefer not to travel abroad, but to travel on a budget in Russia. Most Russians book tickets to resorts in the south of Russia, but there are also many who go to get acquainted with other cities in the summer. Families with children prefer beach holidays, while urban tourism is predominantly young people.

“In general, like last year, the preferences of Russians for summer travel have not changed,” says CEO of the online travel service UFS.Travel Alexey Astanin... - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Kazan are in demand for urban recreation. At the same time, Russian resorts have become more popular: for a beach holiday, an increasing number of travelers pre-book tickets to Anapa, Sochi and Tuapse. This demand for Russian resorts is primarily associated with a more favorable price, no need to apply for visas and a favorable, comfortable climate. And also with the active development of the hotel business, improvement of infrastructure and services in the resorts of southern Russia. "

It is interesting that this year, compared to last year, the demand for railway tickets to Anapa and Novorossiysk has significantly increased, which have pushed one of the leaders of 2018 - Krasnodar.

According to UFS.Travel, the average bill for train tickets was 3,258 rubles, for air travel in Russia and the CIS - 9,937 rubles. It is interesting that this year Russians plan their summer holidays in advance and buy rail and air tickets on average 2-3 months before the trip. At the same time, passengers began to more actively book tickets online, buying them through mobile applications or specialized sites.

According to Tutu.ru, this year, in comparison with the past, the demand for air tickets to Kaliningrad is growing and, conversely, there are fewer people wishing to fly to Krasnodar. Perhaps, the increase in the average check (+ 28% to last year's value) frightens off. So the price of a flight from Moscow to Krasnodar and back in the summer of 2019 increased from 8,372 rubles last year to 10,694 rubles.

What vacation? I have a mortgage!

According to Head of PR Department of Tutu.ru Natalia Anisimovo th, many plans to go somewhere in the summer are ruined by the mortgage. “We just conducted a survey on this topic on the website,” she says. - We asked travelers about their plans for the summer. It turned out that the second most common answer was: “What vacation? I have a mortgage. " He was chosen by 17% of the respondents ”.

According to the same survey, 10% of Russians are going to spend their vacation at home; 8% do not plan to take summer vacations at all; 6% haven't thought about plans yet. That is, in aggregate, more than 40% of the respondents are not going to go anywhere at all, most likely due to their modest financial capabilities. And this despite the fact that the survey was conducted on the site, which is visited primarily by people who are busy planning their trips. This means that the percentage of forced couch potatoes is most likely even higher.

Rest in the country and in the countryside is still popular. He is especially loved among people over 60 and families with children. In recent years, the number of families renting a house in the countryside has also increased. As a rule, these are families with children who do not have their own summer cottages and who cannot afford a seaside vacation. After all, for about the same money, which will cost a two-week vacation in a Russian resort, you can rent a completely comfortable house in the middle lane for the whole summer.

Abroad at any cost

However, according to the results of a survey by Tutu.ru, those who plan to go abroad, no matter what, turned out to be not so few - 18% of those surveyed. Popular external directions have not changed since last year: Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Spain - that is, those countries that manage to form affordable offers. For several years now, neighboring countries, especially Georgia, have been gaining popularity.
People began to save money, but they do not intend to give up travel. Those who have long discovered trips abroad consider them an integral part of their lives, without them life loses significantly in quality. Therefore, people, especially those under 40, are ready to shorten their vacation time, stay in hotels of a lower class, but they want to travel abroad at all costs.

“The average check for flights abroad remained almost at the level of last year, plus 1%,” says Natalya Anisimova. - The most popular foreign cities for the summer are Tivat, Tbilisi and Burgas. The average check in these areas is slightly higher than last year. "

Also, short trips to Finland and the Baltic countries remain attractive, mainly for autotourists. Moreover, they travel from St. Petersburg to these countries more actively than from Moscow and other cities of Russia.

Train or plane?

Interestingly, the choice of train or plane in order to get to your holiday destination depends on a number of factors, and not only on the price of the issue. According to Tutu.ru, tourists choose transport depending on travel time, distance and ticket price. Only every fifth passenger who is going on a long-distance trip (over 1000 kilometers) chooses a train. The ticket price matters. If a train ticket for the chosen direction is twice or more cheaper than an air ticket, then naturally most passengers will travel by train. Do not forget about those who travel with large "trunks", as well as with bicycles, kayaks and other bulky sports equipment: if there are a lot of things, then it is almost always more profitable to travel by train than by plane.

According to UFS.Travel, the capitals are especially in demand for rail travel: Moscow and St. Petersburg. Moreover, for short trips, young people and families with schoolchildren choose mainly reserved seat carriages: they are attracted not only by the favorable price, but also by the updated carriages, which have already begun to run on some routes, sofas with headrests, USB ports, individual lighting and much more.

But those who are going on vacation to the Russian south, in 80% of cases, prefer the plane, even for distances to which it takes only a day to get by train. Holidays for many have become shorter, and it is more important for people to spend the day on vacation, rather than on the road. “We even compiled top routes with a preference for a train or an airplane,” says Natalya Anisimova, head of the public relations department of Tutu.ru. - So, in the top routes with a preference for aircraft, the first place is the trip from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody. About 95% of passengers travel there by air and only 5% choose the train. At the top of the rating with a preference for the train was the route St. Petersburg - Belgorod. About 87% of passengers chose to travel by train, and the rest chose to fly. "

Analytical agency TurStat compiled. According to these statistics, outbound tourism from Russia in 2018 grew by more than 20% to Turkey, Georgia, Italy, UAE, Tunisia, Hungary, Qatar, Cuba and some other countries. According to the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), the number of outbound trips in 2018 increased by 5.8% to 41 million 964 thousand (in 2017, their number was 39 million 629 thousand).

Where did Russians go most often in 2018?

Last year, Turkey turned out to be the most popular tourist destination: Russians made 5 million 719 thousand trips to it. The top ten also includes Abkhazia (4 million 496 thousand trips), Finland (3 million 361 thousand), Kazakhstan (2 million 955 thousand), Ukraine (2 million 290 thousand), China (2 million 018 thousand. ), Estonia (1 million 798 thousand), Germany (1 million 297 thousand), Georgia (1 million 233 thousand) and Thailand (1 million 173 thousand).

To which countries has the tourist flow from Russia increased?

The fastest growing tourist destinations in 2018 were Turkey (5 million 719 thousand trips, + 27% compared to 2017), Georgia (1 million 233 thousand, + 23%), Italy (1 million 086 thousand, +22 %), The UAE (941 thousand, + 23%), Tunisia (611 thousand, + 28%) and Armenia (434 thousand, + 18%). The most popular beach tourist destinations among Russians were Thailand (1,173,000 trips, + 7%), Vietnam (531,000, + 4%) and Cuba (101,000, + 46%).

Which EU countries are popular with Russian tourists?

According to analysts, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania and the Czech Republic are among the top 10 EU countries most popular with Russian tourists. At the same time, in 2018, compared to 2017, the flow of tourists from Russia to Poland decreased by 11%, to Greece - by 6%, to the Czech Republic - by 1%, to Lithuania - by 0.5%, but the overall figures still remained high ... The most popular European excursion, resort and beach destinations among Russians at the end of last year were Italy, Spain and France.

MOSCOW, January 29 - RIA Novosti. Crimea, Baikal, Altai Territory, Sochi and St. Petersburg entered the top 5 regions of Russia, where citizens would be most interested in going to rest and have fun, said the head of the Center for the Development of Regional Policy Ilya Grashchenkov.

"On the one hand, everyone wants to visit, this is a straightforward figure. If we consider in detail sociology, opinion polls, it turns out that almost an equal number of respondents of all ages, all social strata, spheres would like to go to have a rest in Crimea," Grashchenkov said at the presentation a joint study by VTsIOM and the Center for Regional Policy Development.

But in a different context, those numbers are changing, he added.

"If we talk about the first category (recreation and entertainment), this is a kind of general overall rating, it includes either a beach vacation - Crimea and, and vice versa - Altai, Baikal (and St. Petersburg). And, as we believe, this is due to the fact that these are the regions that most often appear in the news and in other media, "Grashchenkov said.

According to him, it is much more interesting to look at other tops as well - these are cities and cultural attractions. "In general, most of the respondents told us that they want to go on vacation not to the beaches and some other types of recreation, but just for cultural attractions and new experiences," he explained.

“Kamchatka (12%) is in third place, which is by a small margin, but is included in this top-3 as one of the most promising regions, which until recently was a closed, conserved region, today is the leader in the number of investments in the tourism industry. .. Next comes abstract Siberia (10%), that is, people do not really know where they would go, but Siberia, as a kind of general idea, is also in the lead, and Karelia (9%) is just behind it, "added he.

The head of the Center also pointed out that among the reasons why Russians do not travel, one can single out the high cost and lack of time. "But what is interesting, poor service worries only 3%, and transport problems, low comfort - also only 2%," he said.

“We tried to assess the still unexplored tourist destinations from the point of view of whether the respondents are interested in them at all or not. ... The overwhelming majority - 65% - are interested in the Volgograd region as a whole, although, as I understand it, this is about the Mamayev Kurgan ... second place - Sakhalin.There are some absolute top points, and all of them are mainly either focused on exotic locations in Russia, or, conversely, are the usual reproduction of the school curriculum.It is interesting that a number of regions unknown and with high potential, like Yakutia, Buryatia are of interest to the respondents, "said Grashchenkov.

The poll was conducted by VTsIOM-Sputnik in two stages on November 13 and 26, 2019 among 1.6 thousand Russians over 18 years old using the method of telephone interviews on a stratified two-base random sample of stationary and mobile. For this sample, the maximum error size with a 95% probability does not exceed 2.5%.