Russia's Tourism Uptick: New Skift Travel Health Index
Skift Take
Key Points
- Russia's tourism surged by 12 percentage points in June 2024, according to the Skift Travel Health Index.
- Government initiatives like the 'Discover Russia' campaign and visa-waiver programs are fueling this growth.
- Tourism in Russia is still at 79% of pre-pandemic levels, despite the recent uptick.
Summary
Russia is experiencing a notable increase in tourism, with the Skift Travel Health Index for June 2024 showing a 12 percentage point rise over May 2024, bringing the index to 103, a 3% increase from June 2023. The Russian government's 'Discover Russia' campaign and upcoming visa-free travel agreements with countries like India are contributing factors. Despite these gains, the industry has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, currently at 79% of 2019's performance.
As the summer travel heats up, a surprising trend is emerging: Russia is experiencing a tourism uptick, according to the latest Skift Travel Health Index for June 2024. Despite the ongoing war, tourism performance in the country in June 2024 witnessed a 12 percentage point surge over May 2024. The index is at 103, which indicates a 3% rise above June 2023.
The Russian government has been actively promoting tourism through campaigns like “Discover Russia” at major international exhibitions. Early results appear to be positive with foreign tourist arrivals growing 1.5 times year-on-year since the start of 2024. Russia is also on the verge of implementing visa-free travel for Indians, similar to the agreements with China and Iran. The visa-waiver initiative is expected to boost Indian tourist arrivals in Moscow by as much as 30%.
Data from OAG indicates rising airline seat capacity, sitting at 12% below pre-pandemic levels in June 2024.
Read our latest June 2024 Highlights for further insights on this market.
As Russia continues to make strategic efforts, the country intends to attract 9.5 million foreign tourists this year. This however, does not mean that Russia's tourism has recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The industry is approximately 79% of that in 2019.
Read our latest report and the Travel Health Index dashboard for further travel insights.
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