Descent organism: which mountains will Russians rest on in 2026
In the winter of 2026, Russians will go on vacation to ski resorts in Sochi, Sheregesh, Kirovsk, Krasnoyarsk and Arkhyz. France, Italy, Georgia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are chosen among the foreign mountain routes. At the same time, tourists actively prepared for the season — sales of goods for winter holidays increased by 37% in December. Travel agents told Izvestia about how ski tours are booked in Russia and how much they are willing to spend on them.
Which mountains will Russians go to?
For January-February 2026, residents of the Russian Federation most often book accommodation in Sochi, Sheregesh (Kemerovo region), Kirovsk (Murmansk Region), Krasnoyarsk (Siberia) and Arkhyz (Karachay-Cherkessia) from ski destinations. Gubakha (Perm Krai), Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Belokurikha (Altai) and Baikalsk (Irkutsk Region) also entered the top 10, the press service of Avito Travel told Izvestia.
The average cost of an apartment per night in Sochi is 6 thousand rubles, and a country house is 19 thousand rubles. In Sheregesh and Kirovsk, it costs an average of 7 thousand rubles per apartment and 16-24 thousand rubles per house to rent a house.
In Krasnoyarsk, an apartment will cost an average of 3 thousand rubles per night, and a house — 16 thousand rubles. The most expensive apartment rental in Arkhyz is for an average of 10 thousand rubles. Renting a house there will cost about 15 thousand rubles. The most budget houses — for an average of 12 thousand rubles — are rented in Gubakha and Belokurikha.
The peak growth of bookings was recorded in Zlatoust (Chelyabinsk region), where their number increased 2.5 times. They began booking accommodation in Gubakha one and a half times more often. By almost the same amount — by 48% — in Sheregesh. The top 5 in terms of bookings growth are completed by Baikalsk and Arkhyz with an increase of 43% and 38%, respectively.
The stable demand for holidays in the ski resorts of the Russian Federation in the winter of 2026 was also recorded in the OneTwoTrip travel planning service. At the same time, people began to save on accommodation: last season they chose hotels with an average cost of 15.8 thousand rubles per night, and this year — 14.7 thousand rubles.
—Sochi resorts are in the first place," said Elena Shelekhova, head of the service's press service. — Stable demand remains year on year. Russians pay an average of 10 thousand rubles per day for accommodation in Sochi, 18.9 thousand rubles in Esto-Sadka, and 12.5 thousand rubles in Krasnaya Polyana.
Arkhyz shows stable demand year on year. They choose accommodation facilities there for an average of 19 thousand rubles per night. Interest in Dombay (Karachay-Cherkessia), where accommodation is booked for 9.8 thousand rubles per day, has grown by more than 50% over the year.
In Sheregesh, the share of hotel orders increased by 15%, while Sakhalin slopes lost 23%.
97% of all bookings of hotels and apartments near ski resorts for the New Year holidays and the winter season are in Russian resorts, the press service of Yandex Travel reported. The most popular are in the Krasnodar Territory, their share of the total number of bookings is 38%.
The top 5 foreign countries where Russians go on ski holidays include France, Italy, Georgia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
How Russians prepared for the season
Almost a third of Russians have planned holidays at mountain resorts in the 2025-2026 season, the Mantera group said. Of these, 44% are going to devote their holidays to skiing or snowboarding, 42% to trekking with a view of the peaks. Active entertainment (28%) and SPA (23%) are also among the most common leisure formats. Foreign resorts attract only 10% of tourists.
"When choosing a winter resort for the majority of Russians, the decisive factors are still the extensive ski area, interesting trails, modern cable cars, and the availability of rental equipment," said Yana Ukhanova, Deputy General Director for Hotel Development at the company. For more than a quarter, a high level of service is important, and the presence of restaurants, bars and concert venues in the location is crucial for 24%.
The activity of tourists is also confirmed by their purchases — sales of goods for winter holidays increased by 37% in December 2025, analysts at Avito Goods and Avito Travel said.
They mainly bought skis, snowboards and ski equipment — they accounted for 40% of all sales in the category. Sales of ski poles increased most noticeably (+60%), protection and equipment (+58%), as well as boots and fasteners (+55%). Cross-country skis (+55%), downhill skis (+41%) and snowboards (+40%) became more common.
The second most popular category is hockey products. They account for 28% of sales. In December, sales of clubs increased most noticeably (+8%) and gloves (+2%), but uniforms and equipment began to be bought a little less often. Another 14% of sales are accounted for by sleds, snowmobiles and tubing — they have been bought 2.5 times more often over the past month. Figure skating products follow with a 13% share. They began to buy them more often by 45% in a month.
— 71% of sales of goods for winter holidays are accounted for by resale — users choose goods from their hands, since sports equipment is expensive, and this way you can save an average of 30-40% of the initial cost. This is especially true for children's items," said Sergey Klenyaev, Head of Business Development at Sports, Hobbies, and Children's Products on the platform.
Why do people go to the mountains
The growing interest of Russians in ski holidays and the concentration of demand in Sochi, Sheregesh, Kirovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Arkhyz and a number of other areas are explained by a combination of infrastructural, climatic and economic factors, says Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the analytical agency VMT Consult.
"First of all, these resorts have received a significant development boost in recent years due to systemic investments, both public and private," she said. — Sochi has actually formed a year-round tourist agglomeration with modern transport accessibility, a hotel fund of various price levels, a well-developed service environment and a stable quality of trails.
A similar logic can be traced in Arkhyz, which is developing within the framework of federal programs to support tourist clusters: the cable car network is expanding, the number of rooms is increasing, and the road and engineering infrastructure is improving.
"Sheregesh, Kirovsk and Krasnoyarsk benefit from stable snow cover, a long season and an already established reputation as reliable ski destinations," the expert noted. — It is here that lifts, snowmaking systems, rental and accommodation services have been actively upgraded in recent years, which makes holidays more predictable and comfortable for the mass tourist. The support of regional authorities interested in the development of domestic tourism as a driver of the economy also plays an important role.
The growing interest of Russians in ski holidays in recent years has not only economic, but also pronounced psychological reasons, said Maria Todorova, a family psychologist. A few years ago, a large tourist flow was really focused on foreign destinations, they seemed more accessible and familiar.
— The situation has changed today: The structure of winter holidays within the country has become much richer, and it is ski resorts that have turned out to be the most developed and understandable format of winter tourism in Russia," the specialist explained. — From the point of view of attachment theory, it is important for a person to have a sense of support and predictability of the environment.
Russian resorts give this feeling to a greater extent: a familiar language, a cultural code, the absence of the need to adapt to other rules, legal and everyday norms. This reduces the level of background anxiety, especially in conditions of general uncertainty.
— For the psyche, the feeling of "I'm at home" is directly related to a basic sense of security — a key condition for restoring resources and proper rest, — said Maria Todorova. — From a neuropsychological point of view, skiing also meets current needs. This is a combination of moderate risk, physical activity, sensory saturation, and a clear pattern of activity.
Such conditions promote the release of dopamine and endorphins, help to switch from cognitive overload and chronic stress typical of urban life. At the same time, we control the format: the routes are prepared, the infrastructure is clear, which brings people back to a sense of security.
— Finally, the social factor is also important, — the psychologist added. — Ski resorts in Russia are increasingly becoming a family vacation space where you can be together, but at the same time everyone finds something to do. From the point of view of attachment theory, this enhances the feeling of emotional closeness and shared experiences, which are perceived as valuable and supportive.
Thus, choosing Russian ski destinations is not just a substitute for foreign trips, but a response to a deep need for safety, stability and emotional recovery.
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