Russian tourism and hospitality industry grew in 2025 building on the strong recovery from previous years. The data from the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) showed gains across key indicators. These included revenues, domestic tourist volumes, inbound foreign visits, and related services. But growth rates slowed compared to the high increases of 2024.
Record-Breaking Revenues for Accommodation Facilities
Collective accommodation facilities (CAC) include hotels, motels, hostels, sanatoriums, holiday homes, boarding houses, campsites, and recreation centers. These establishments reached a new financial mark. They generated 1,094 billion rubles (excluding VAT) in income during the first 11 months of 2025. This was a 12% year-on-year increase from 975 billion rubles in the same period of 2024.
This growth is positive but slower than the 26-27% jump seen in 2024. The sector passed the 1 trillion ruble yearly threshold that year. It reached 1,089 billion rubles for the full year, excluding data from new subjects of the Russian Federation. The trend is still upward. Demand and expansion continue, but the pace is steady rather than rapid. The post-recovery boom has stabilized.
Strong Domestic Tourism Activity
Domestic tourism drove the performance of the Russian tourism and hospitality industry. Russian citizens used collective accommodation facilities 78.5 million times from January to November 2025. This is a 4% increase compared to 75.4 million in the same period of 2024. This growth was slower than the 11% rise recorded the previous year.
Total overnight stays by Russian and foreign guests passed 330 million in the first 11 months of 2025. This was up 4% from 317 million in 2024. The full-year 2024 total was 383 million overnight stays. The 2025 total will likely approach or exceed 400 million overnight stays nationwide.
Russians made roughly 163 million tourist trips domestically in the first 11 months of 2025. This is a 3% increase from 158 million in the same period of 2024. The full-year figure for 2024 was 170.9 million trips which shows steady expansion in domestic travel.
Room numbers in collective accommodation facilities also grew. They reached 1,151,752 by the end of 2024. This was a 3% increase of 34,338 rooms from 2023. This added capacity helps meet rising demand.
Inbound Foreign Tourism Shows Recovery
Foreign tourist arrivals continued their recovery. 4.3 million foreign citizens visited Russia for tourism in the first 11 months of 2025. This number beat the full-year total for 2024 (4.2 million). It was a 13% increase over the same period in 2024.
Inbound numbers are still well below the pre-pandemic levels. Foreign visitor volumes were roughly 2.5 times higher back then. Visitors from Asia, the Middle East, and other regions supported recent growth. This balanced the declines from traditional European sources due to geopolitical factors.
Growth in Related Sectors
The broader tourism sector also expanded. Paid tourist services from travel agencies, tour operators, and booking organizations reached 398 billion rubles in the first 11 months of 2025. This is up 18% from 337 billion rubles in the same period of 2024. A 30% surge happened in 2024. Activity in tour organization and sales remains strong.
The number of travel agencies grew by 16% over the year. This added 2,252 agencies. The total rose from 14,102 in 2023 to 16,354 in 2024. More increases are likely in 2025.
Public catering turnover per capita also rose sharply as it climbed 23%. Spending grew from 19,606 rubles in 2023 to 24,170 rubles in 2024. This highlights the increased consumer spending on food during travel. Full 2025 data will be available in May 2026.
The Russian Tourism and Hospitality Industry outlook
The Russian tourism and hospitality industry in 2025 showed a maturing post-pandemic recovery. It featured strong absolute figures and moderate growth rates. The sector relied on domestic demand and saw gradual inbound gains. Investments in infrastructure include room capacity expansions. Rising service volumes prepare the sector for continued stability.
Challenges, however, remain. These include geopolitical constraints on certain markets and a normalization of explosive growth. But the data point to a resilient path for Russian tourism. Full-year 2025 statistics will become available soon. The industry will likely confirm its role in economic activity and regional development.
