In 2015, Belarus became the most popular CIS country among Russian tourists. This data was provided to BelTA by the Russian online travel service Travel.ru.
In 2015, Belarus became the most popular CIS country among Russian tourists. This data was provided to BelTA by the Russian online travel service Travel.ru.
The ranking is based on hotel bookings in the CIS made by independent Russian travellers this year. Belarus tops the list of the most popular CIS countries, accounting for 37% of all trips. Ukraine accounts for 22% of all trips to CIS countries, Kazakhstan – 16%, Azerbaijan – 9%, Armenia – 7%. Other CIS countries account for less than 10%.
According to Travel.ru, the number of online bookings for trips by Russians to Belarus has increased by 60% compared to last year. Russian tourists travel to Belarus for an average of 4.5 days this year and spend $70 per day on hotel accommodation.
The top 10 most popular CIS cities among Russians include Minsk, Kyiv, Almaty, Baku, Yerevan, Astana, Vitebsk, Bishkek, Tashkent, and Chisinau. According to Travel.ru, Russian tourists visit Minsk for an average of 2.5 days and spend about $73 per day on hotel accommodation. The Belarusian cities of Brest, Grodno, and Gomel are also among the top twenty most popular CIS cities for Russian tourists.
As for the ranking of the most popular resorts in CIS countries among Russians for the summer season, Lake Naroch ranks second. As noted by Travel.ru, Russians are attracted to Naroch by health and wellness tourism, interesting excursions, national cuisine, and low prices. The top five most popular CIS resorts also include Issyk-Kul Lake (Kyrgyzstan), Borovoe (Kazakhstan), Nabran (Azerbaijan), and Sevan (Armenia).
Travel.ru is a leading Russian online travel service operating in the market for over 15 years. The website receives 2 million visitors per month.