Tourist Flow to the Far East Increases by 17% in the First Half of the Year
The number of tourists visiting the Far East in the first half of 2026 grew by 17% compared to the same period last year, reaching approximately 2.3 million people. This is more than four times the average growth rate for Russia as a whole, according to a study by the Federal Autonomous Institution "Vostokgosplan." The most notable dynamics were shown by the Amur Region, Yakutia, Transbaikalia, and the Magadan Region. At the same time, the inflow of foreign tourists increased by almost 80%.
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Russian Standard Bank Names Leading Cities by Total Hotel Service Payments
St. Petersburg (19,034 rubles) and Nizhny Novgorod (average receipt of 12,400 rubles) turned out to be the leaders in total hotel service payments in the first half of 2026. This is reported in a study by Russian Standard Bank.
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Expert: wealthy Russians have become more likely to go on tours with passports of other countries
An expert involved in individual tours to exotic destinations shared his observations with the editorial staff. TourDom.ru – among the tourists who apply to him, the proportion of those who have a passport from another country has increased. This allows you to take advantage of another jurisdiction – to build an easier route bypassing restrictions for Russians.:
Two Russian banks announced the issuance of UnionPay cards
UnionPay seems to be changing its policy towards Russia. For the past four years, this payment system has not accepted new members from our country, and now two banks have announced their intention to issue its cards.
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Tourists were warned about fake virtual cards of foreign banks in the Federation Council
The fraudsters began to use a new scheme to deceive Russians planning trips abroad. The intruders propose to issue virtual foreign bank cards ostensibly for payment of purchases and services in other countries, as well as foreign online services and international subscriptions. Senator Artem Sheikin warned about this.
Crimean authorities reduced the rent for tourist facilities
In Crimea, measures of support for entrepreneurs have been launched, they include representatives of the tourism industry, said the head of the republic, Sergei Aksenov.
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Experts of the RST: Confirmation of visa-free regime with Serbia will support interest of Russian tourists to direction
The confirmation by the Serbian authorities of maintaining a visa-free regime for Russian citizens removes uncertainty that has arisen in recent months and will allow tourists to plan trips more confidently, experts from the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RST) believe.
Russians will get free internet on board when flying to China
China Eastern Airlines and its sister airline, Shanghai Airlines, are introducing free Wi-Fi on board all their widebody aircraft as of 3 July. The service can be used by passengers of both domestic and international flights, including flights to Russia.
The innovation applies to all travelers, but the service class will affect the quality of the internet. Customers in first and business class will be offered a high data rate tariff, including streaming video. Economy and Premium Economy will have access to a basic standard traffic package, that is, the ability to communicate in the messenger, check emails and get information from sites.
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Expert Kail called the real risk of ending the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians
Information about a possible end to the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians is not just a political threat, but a real risk. This was reported by TASS expert of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), head of the visa agency Visantium Egor Kail.
In Tunisia expressed a desire to increase the flow of tourists from Russia
Tunisia would like more tourists from Russia to come to the republic. This was stated by the TASS interim chargé d'affaires of the Tunisian embassy in the Russian Federation Beshir Langar.
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Booking of trips in Russia showed decline in June
Demand for tourist trips in Russia is declining, as is the depth of booking. This is primarily due to the decline in sales of key resort destinations - Crimea and Sochi.
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As a result of the modular hotel program for rural tourism, 2,100 rooms in 90 projects were created
The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation implemented a program to subsidize investment projects aimed at building modular non-capital placement funds in 2023-2024. The total amount of financing was 15.3 billion rubles, which allowed to create about 10 thousand rooms.
St. Petersburg’s Restaurants will adapt the menu to the interests of new foreign guests - Beglov
The new task for restaurants in St. Petersburg is to adapt the menu to the interests of new foreign guests. This was reported to TASS by the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov.
«An important task is to adapt the menu to the interests of new foreign guests. We take into account the common demand for all megacities for the development of fast food establishments and high-quality street cuisine» , said Beglov.
The number of eSIM purchases for tourism through banking apps increased by 2.5 times in May
The number of purchases of virtual tourist SIM cards (eSIM) through mobile banking apps increased by 2.5 times in May compared to April 2026. The surge in demand occurred during the May holidays, according to this travel eSIM eSIM.World store (available to TASS).
The Middle East crisis further stimulates tourist demand for travel to Russia - Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Demand for foreigners, including citizens of Vietnam and Turkey, to travel to Russia is growing rapidly, including in connection with the suspension of tourism in the countries of the Middle East. This was reported in an interview with TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) by Nikita Kondratiev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development.
Diving at one of the best posts in the world will be developed by Sakhalin via cruises
The submergence of the island of Moneron will be popular, including through cruise tours. This was reported by the Minister of Tourism of the Sakhalin region Artem Lazarev.
Regarding access to complete volumes and articles
Dear colleagues, readers and visitors of the RSUTS’s Scientific Publishing Department website!
Magazines HAC (Highest Attestation Commission) "Modern problems of service and tourism" and "Service in Russia and abroad", released in 2026, are available for viewing on Elibrary on a paid basis. You can purchase either a single article from the issue or an entire issue.
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