Russia's Inbound Tourism Grows 12% to About 5 Million Visitors in 2025
Inbound tourism to Russia grew 12 percent in 2025 to about 5 million visitors, Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov (Максим Решетников) said. Over two years the number of foreign arrivals has increased by a factor of 1.5, and in January–February 2026 the growth accelerated to 37 percent, Interfax reported on March 23, 2026. The ministry's target remains unchanged: 16 million inbound visitors by 2030.
From 5 million toward the 16 million goal
In the Economy Ministry's reading, the 2025 result consolidates the recovery of the inbound market: the flow has not merely returned to growth but has held double-digit momentum. The two-year comparison is even more telling, with the current level 1.5 times higher than two years ago. The start of 2026 looks stronger still, at plus 37 percent for the first two months against the same period a year earlier.
- 2025 — about 5 million inbound visitors, up 12 percent year on year;
- two years — a 1.5-fold increase in the inbound flow;
- January–February 2026 — up 37 percent year on year;
- target — 16 million inbound visitors by 2030.
The 16 million target for 2030 means the market must roughly triple its current level in the years ahead. That task requires both keeping the drivers that already work and adding new source markets and formats of hosting guests.
Inbound outpacing the domestic market
Deputy Economy Minister Dmitry Vakhruskov (Дмитрий Вахруков) pointed to another detail of the market structure: in 2025 inbound tourism grew faster than domestic travel — about 15 percent against about 4 percent. For an industry in which domestic trips had long been the main source of growth, that is a notable reversal of roles.
Why the reversal matters for the industry
The gap in growth rates means foreign guests are adding to industry revenue faster than domestic travellers do. For hotels, guides, transport and catering in popular destinations, that is a signal to prepare capacity for foreign demand in advance: service in foreign languages, convenient payment options and itineraries designed for guests from countries that are new to the market.
China and the Arabian states as growth drivers
The Economy Ministry names two main sources of the acceleration. The first is China: the visa-free regime introduced by the presidential decree of December 1, 2025 and in force until September 14, 2026 has sharply lowered the entry barrier for one of Asia's largest outbound markets. The second is the Arabian countries: Saudi Arabia has shown a multiple increase in arrivals, while Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have added to the flow as well.
Together these two drivers explain both the 2025 result and the strong start of 2026: the visa-free window for Chinese tourists covers most of the current high season, while the Arabian direction is still far from saturation.
What comes next
If the January–February momentum of plus 37 percent is at least partly sustained through the year, 2026 may become one of the most successful years for inbound tourism in the market's modern history. The decisive factors will be an extension of the visa-free regime beyond September 14, 2026, wider flight programs from Arabia and Asia, and the industry's readiness to host a growing flow. The benchmark of 16 million inbound visitors by 2030 remains the ministry's main yardstick for judging the sector's success.
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