Moscow Remains at the Centre to Be an Important City for Outbound Tourism, Followed by St. Petersburg and More in Russia

Moscow remains Russia’s most important outbound tourism market in 2026, followed by St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, and Kazan. These cities offer international tourism boards, airlines, hotels, and tour operators access to some of the country’s most commercially significant travel markets. While Moscow dominates international flight departures, growing opportunities across Siberia, the Urals, and the Volga region are encouraging tourism businesses to look beyond the Russian capital.

Russia’s outbound tourism industry continues to demonstrate its importance to international destinations, particularly Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. According to Russian border-service statistics reported by Interfax, Russian citizens made approximately 31.53 million international trips for all purposes in 2025, including 13.44 million departures classified as tourism. Tourism-purpose departures increased by 15.6% compared with the previous year.

However, the distribution of international tourism demand varies considerably across Russia. Population concentration, household spending power, airport connectivity, regional tour operators, and proximity to overseas destinations influence which cities offer the strongest opportunities for international tourism development.

Top Russian Cities for Outbound Tourism: 2026 Market Priority Ranking

Why Does Moscow Continue to Dominate Russia’s Outbound Tourism Market?

Moscow remains the center of Russia’s outbound tourism industry because of its extensive aviation infrastructure, large metropolitan population, established travel distribution networks, and concentration of international businesses.

The Russian capital is served by three major airports: Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo. Together, these airports handled approximately 73.5 million passenger movements in 2025, including domestic and international journeys.

According to a 2026 analysis by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Moscow accounted for approximately 61% of direct international flight departures from Russia. This illustrates the capital’s substantial influence over the country’s international aviation network.

Moscow also offers a broad selection of international tourism products, ranging from affordable beach holidays in Turkey and Egypt to luxury experiences in the Maldives and United Arab Emirates.

For international tourism boards, Moscow provides access to major travel agencies, tour operators, corporate clients, and premium leisure travelers.

Nevertheless, airport passenger figures should not be interpreted as outbound tourist totals because they include domestic travelers and connecting passengers.

How Has St. Petersburg Become Russia’s Second Major International Tourism Source Market?

St. Petersburg occupies a strategically important position in Russia’s outbound tourism industry because of its large urban population, established international travel culture, and access to foreign destinations through Pulkovo Airport.

Pulkovo handled approximately 20.8 million passengers in 2025, making it one of Russia’s busiest airports.

The city’s international tourism market includes families seeking overseas holidays, independent travelers interested in cultural experiences, and higher-spending visitors booking premium accommodations.

Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Thailand represent important destinations for tourism marketing among travelers departing from St. Petersburg.

Its geographic position also makes it a potentially valuable source market for international destinations seeking to attract travelers from northwestern Russia.

For overseas tourism organizations, St. Petersburg offers opportunities to develop city-break packages, cultural tourism itineraries, luxury holidays, and family-oriented travel products.

Although international connectivity remains affected by aviation restrictions and geopolitical conditions, the city’s population and travel infrastructure continue to support its position as a major Russian tourism source market.

Why Is Yekaterinburg Emerging as a Powerful Outbound Tourism Hub in the Urals?

Yekaterinburg has established itself as one of Russia’s most important regional aviation and outbound tourism centers.

Located in the Urals, the city serves a substantial population catchment extending beyond its municipal boundaries into surrounding industrial and commercial regions.

Koltsovo Airport handled approximately 8.3 million passengers in 2025, highlighting its importance within Russia’s regional aviation network.

Yekaterinburg also ranked among the five leading Russian cities for direct international flight departures in ATOR’s 2026 analysis.

The city’s international tourism market is particularly relevant for destinations offering organized holidays, beach resorts, family packages, and winter escapes.

Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, China, and the United Arab Emirates represent significant opportunities for tourism businesses seeking regional Russian customers.

For tour operators, Yekaterinburg provides access to travelers who may prefer direct international departures rather than connecting through Moscow.

This regional accessibility can improve the attractiveness of overseas holiday packages and help destinations diversify their Russian visitor markets.

What Makes Novosibirsk One of Siberia’s Most Important Outbound Travel Markets?

Novosibirsk plays a central role in international tourism development across Siberia because of its large metropolitan population, regional economic significance, and aviation connectivity.

Tolmachevo Airport handled approximately 9.5 million passengers in 2025, reinforcing its position as a major Siberian aviation hub.

The city’s location provides opportunities for international destinations across Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, and China.

Tour operators have developed seasonal holiday programs connecting Siberian travelers with popular beach destinations, particularly during Russia’s colder months.

Thailand has attracted attention through winter charter operations, while Vietnam has become increasingly relevant to travel companies expanding Asian holiday packages.

Novosibirsk also provides access to customers from neighboring Siberian cities, increasing its commercial importance beyond its immediate population.

For tourism boards promoting Southeast Asian destinations, the city offers a strategic opportunity to reach Russian travelers interested in warm-weather holidays.

However, the scale of international demand depends on seasonal flight availability, package pricing, and the operating schedules of airlines and tour operators.

Why Is Kazan Becoming an Attractive Market for International Tourism Businesses?

Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, has developed into an important regional source market for international tourism.

Kazan International Airport handled approximately 5.4 million passengers in 2025, reflecting the city’s substantial aviation activity.

Its economic development, metropolitan population, and established tourism infrastructure make Kazan an attractive market for international destinations.

Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Central Asian countries offer opportunities for family holidays, cultural travel, resort vacations, and premium tourism products.

The city’s regional significance also makes it useful for tourism organizations seeking to expand their presence across Russia’s Volga region.

International travel companies can target Kazan through partnerships with regional tour operators, digital advertising, and seasonal holiday promotions.

The availability of direct flights and charter services remains an important factor in converting interest into bookings.

Although Kazan does not match Moscow or St. Petersburg in overall market scale, its regional influence makes it a valuable secondary market for international tourism campaigns.

Which Other Russian Cities Offer Significant Opportunities for Outbound Tourism Growth?

Beyond Russia’s five leading metropolitan source markets, several regional cities present meaningful opportunities for international tourism businesses.

Ufa and Samara are important Volga-region markets for family vacations, affordable resort holidays, and organized international travel packages.

Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk offer potential for Asian tourism destinations, particularly those promoting beach holidays and cultural experiences.

Vladivostok and Khabarovsk occupy strategic positions in Russia’s Far East, where geographic proximity makes Asian destinations particularly relevant.

Sochi also remains an important international departure gateway. Its airport handled approximately 12.5 million passengers in 2025, although domestic tourism accounts for a substantial share of its traffic.

Krasnodar represents another southern Russian market, subject to the availability of international services and applicable aviation restrictions.

Perm, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, and Nizhny Novgorod provide additional opportunities for travel companies developing regional distribution networks.

These cities may not individually match Moscow’s scale, but collectively they offer opportunities to reach travelers outside Russia’s two largest metropolitan markets.

Which International Destinations Are Most Attractive to Russian Outbound Travelers?

Turkey remains one of the most important destinations for Russian outbound tourism, supported by established aviation connections, organized tour packages, and extensive resort infrastructure.

Russian border-service figures recorded approximately 4.61 million tourism-purpose departures to Turkey in 2025.

Egypt also remains relevant because of its Red Sea resorts, all-inclusive accommodation options, and appeal among travelers seeking warm-weather holidays.

The United Arab Emirates attracts Russian visitors interested in luxury hotels, shopping, family attractions, and premium leisure experiences.

Thailand and Vietnam are particularly important for winter tourism, offering tropical destinations during Russia’s colder months.

China represents another significant market, supported by geographic proximity, commercial relationships, and international aviation connections.

The Maldives and Indonesia provide opportunities in the premium and long-haul leisure segments.

However, destination popularity differs between Russian cities. Travelers in Siberia and the Far East may have different flight options and travel costs compared with those departing from Moscow.

Tourism businesses must therefore evaluate demand at the regional level rather than treating Russia as a single uniform market.

How Does International Flight Connectivity Influence Russia’s Outbound Tourism Industry?

International aviation connectivity remains one of the strongest factors shaping outbound tourism opportunities across Russia.

ATOR’s 2026 analysis found that five cities—Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, and Novosibirsk—accounted for approximately 81% of direct international flight departures.

Moscow alone represented approximately 61%, demonstrating the substantial concentration of international air services in the capital.

The analysis identified direct international flights from 39 Russian cities, although the frequency and destination coverage varied considerably.

These findings show why international tourism businesses frequently prioritize major aviation hubs when developing Russian market strategies.

Direct services can reduce journey times, simplify holiday planning, and make package tours more attractive to customers.

Regional charter operations also help connect travelers with overseas resorts without requiring domestic connections.

Nevertheless, international flight availability can change because of commercial decisions, airspace restrictions, geopolitical developments, and seasonal demand.

Tourism operators must regularly review schedules before promoting specific departure cities or overseas destinations.

How Are Regional Russian Travelers Changing International Tourism Marketing Strategies?

Russia’s regional outbound tourism markets are encouraging travel businesses to adopt more geographically targeted marketing strategies.

Rather than concentrating exclusively on Moscow, international destinations can identify cities with suitable aviation links, established tour operators, and strong demand for specific holiday products.

For example, tourism businesses promoting Thailand and Vietnam may find valuable opportunities in Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, and other Siberian markets.

Turkey and Egypt can benefit from campaigns targeting the Urals and Volga region, where organized resort holidays remain commercially relevant.

Luxury destinations may prioritize Moscow and St. Petersburg before expanding into selected regional markets.

Regional marketing can also account for differences in travel budgets, seasonal preferences, family travel patterns, and international flight availability.

Digital campaigns, local-language promotions, regional travel agency partnerships, and airline collaborations can support this approach.

However, tourism organizations need reliable booking, spending, and conversion data to measure actual market performance.

Airport traffic and international flight frequency are useful indicators, but they cannot independently establish the number of leisure travelers living in each city.

What Does Russia’s Outbound Tourism Outlook Mean for International Destinations in 2026?

Russia’s outbound tourism market continues to offer opportunities for international destinations seeking visitors from established and emerging source cities.

The increase in tourism-purpose international departures during 2025 demonstrates that overseas leisure travel remains an important part of the country’s tourism economy.

Moscow is likely to remain the principal market because of its population, travel distribution infrastructure, and dominant international flight network.

St. Petersburg provides a second major metropolitan market, while Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, and Kazan offer opportunities for regional expansion.

Additional cities across Siberia, the Volga region, and the Russian Far East provide further potential for tourism businesses targeting specific international destinations.

Future growth will depend on international aviation capacity, household purchasing power, exchange rates, travel regulations, and the availability of competitive holiday packages.

For tourism boards and hospitality companies, the most effective strategy is to match destination offerings with the characteristics of individual Russian source markets.

The central conclusion is clear: Moscow remains Russia’s dominant international travel gateway, but St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, and other regional cities are essential to understanding the wider commercial potential of Russian outbound tourism in 2026.

Russian outbound tourism continues to generate business opportunities for international destinations, with Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai and the Maldives among the popular choices highlighted by a Russian travel agency representative, Elena Arteeva during an interview at Istanbul Tourism Fair in Istanbul. The discussion revealed how Russian holidaymakers are exploring destinations across Asia and the Middle East, while travel companies are seeking fresh partnerships, competitive holiday products and wider international connections. Egypt, China, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles also emerged as important markets for future business development.

Why Are Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam Important to Russian Travelers?

Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam were among the first destinations mentioned by Elena, a Russian travel agency representative, when asked where Russian customers travel most frequently.

Her response also highlighted Dubai, the Maldives and the Seychelles, reflecting the agency’s involvement in international leisure tourism.

These destinations offer different holiday experiences, ranging from beach resorts and tropical escapes to luxury accommodations and city attractions.

The interview suggests that Russian travel agencies are maintaining diverse international portfolios rather than concentrating on a single destination.

However, the representative did not provide booking statistics or market-share figures, meaning the destinations mentioned reflect her agency’s experience rather than an official nationwide ranking.

How Is Istanbul Helping Russian Travel Agencies Build International Partnerships?

During the interview at the Istanbul tourism trade event, Elena described the business environment positively, emphasizing its international character.

She highlighted opportunities to meet tour operators, destination management companies and potential business partners.

Establishing new contacts appeared to be a central objective of the agency’s participation.

Such industry events allow travel companies to explore new tourism products, discuss destination offerings and strengthen commercial relationships.

The representative also indicated that her agency primarily serves travelers heading outside Russia, with international leisure travel forming an important part of its business.

Although the agency occasionally handles meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) groups, this segment does not appear to dominate its operations.

Which Destinations Are Russian Travel Agencies Targeting Next?

When asked about future business priorities, Elena identified Turkey, Egypt, the Maldives, Vietnam, China and Sri Lanka, alongside other international destinations.

Her comments suggest continued interest in expanding the agency’s overseas tourism portfolio through new supplier relationships and destination partnerships.

Turkey remained a particularly prominent market throughout the conversation.

The interview illustrates how Russian outbound travel agencies are using international trade events to strengthen their networks and identify additional holiday opportunities.

For tourism boards, hotels and tour operators, the central opportunity lies in developing relevant products and reliable partnerships that can help attract Russian customers across multiple international destinations.

Russia’s international travel landscape highlights the growing importance of regional tourism markets alongside the capital’s established dominance. Strong aviation infrastructure, extensive travel agency networks and demand for overseas holidays explain why these metropolitan centers remain commercially significant. Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, China and the UAE offer attractive travel opportunities for Russian holidaymakers. However, regional connectivity, affordability and seasonal flight availability will determine future expansion. International tourism businesses can benefit by targeting individual source markets with tailored packages and strategic airline partnerships. As competition intensifies, understanding regional travel preferences will become essential for attracting visitors and strengthening international tourism growth.

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