St. Petersburg climbs to third most popular destination for Russian domestic tourism

Russian domestic tourism is shifting away from traditional southern resorts toward major urban centers and diverse regional destinations. According to data from the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), St. Petersburg has climbed to third place in popularity for the summer of 2026, capturing 15.2% of the total domestic tourist flow. While Krasnodar Krai remains the top destination and Moscow holds second place, the overall volume of domestic travel fell by 6% in the first eight months of 2026, totaling 58 million trips. This decline aligns with a renewed interest in international travel. The most significant shift is visible in the collapse of demand for the Crimean peninsula and the city of Sevastopol, where requests dropped by 56.5% and approximately 68%, respectively. Crimea's share of total bookings shrank from 13% last year to just 4% this year.