Turkey Was the Preferred Travel Destination for Russian Tourists in 2022: Mabrian’s Travel Trends Report

Mabrian’s Travel Intelligence platform had conducted a study on the latest travel trends in the Russian market, revealing that Turkey experienced the highest growth in popularity during 2022. However, the study also identified other destinations that gained traction in this market.

The analysis was based on the hotel demand and average room rates in over 700 destinations worldwide, comparing trends between 2022 and 2019. The Mabrian team analyzed more than 2 million Russian traveler reviews and published hotel prices on major OTAs such as Booking, Expedia, and TripAdvisor for the two-year period.

In 2022, tourist hotspots in the Middle East and Asia, particularly Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand, had gained significant importance among Russian travelers. On the other hand, countries that are closer in proximity, such as Georgia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan, have also emerged as top 20 preferred destinations for Russian tourists. In contrast, traditional European destinations like Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Greece have suffered a substantial decline in Russian tourist traffic since 2019. Among these countries, Italy has been the most affected by the current situation.

Several significant factors have impacted the popularity of these tourist destinations among Russian travelers. These include the effects of sanctions on Russians and the challenges of traveling to Europe due to visa restrictions imposed by the EU and UK, as well as the ban on direct flights resulting from the conflict in Ukraine. The decline in the value of the ruble during the summer of 2022 is another crucial factor to consider, particularly given that the average hotel prices in Italy are 46% higher than the average price in Turkey.

Carlos Cendra, Director of Marketing & Sales at Mabrian, says: “As one of the largest source markets for international tourism over the last 20 years, the Russian market plays a crucial role in the global travel industry, and in recent times it has become essential for destinations and companies to understand their evolving trends and preferences.

“Our study shows that the Russian travel market has been deeply impacted with current situation. Much less travelers and a changing profile with tourists exploring new destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and neighboring countries all of which seem very keen to capture market share by welcoming Russian travelers.”