Russia’s Economy Ministry cuts domestic tourism forecast to about 90 million trips

Dmitry Vakhrukov revised the 2026 estimate down from 94 million, citing a difficult season for parts of the Black Sea coast.

The deputy minister told RBC on October 13 that the year’s domestic tourism total would probably remain close to last year’s roughly 90 million trips. The revised figure is a forecast, rather than a completed annual count, and measures trips rather than individual travellers.

Vakhrukov said domestic tourism grew by 7% in the first four months, providing grounds for April’s more optimistic estimate. He recalled 43 million trips between January and June. Summer subsequently brought difficulties, particularly around the Black Sea and Crimea.

In the same interview, he agreed with an estimate of a roughly 70% fall in tourism across Crimea and Sevastopol in July and August. He separately cited a roughly 40% decline in Sochi airport passenger traffic over the three summer months. The figures concern different measures and periods.

Vakhrukov said demand shifted to other destinations, including the Moscow, Sverdlovsk, Leningrad and Tyumen regions, Murmansk and the Far East. He said improving the approaching winter season would require further work. The ministry’s lower forecast does not mean every Russian region experienced a decline.