Vacation goals: resorts and small towns have become the drivers of tourism in Russia
In 2025, tourist interest in small towns and resorts grew fastest, tour aggregators noted. For example, the demand for travel to the village of Teriberka in the Murmansk region increased by 86%, to Uglich — by 50%, to Istra — by 45%. A significant increase in bookings was recorded in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory. Areas focused on skiing and outdoor recreation were also actively developing. About how domestic tourism has been reformatted, see the Izvestia article.
Which cities have become popular with tourists
The largest increase in bookings in 2025 was recorded in small tourist locations, travel agents told Izvestia. The leader in terms of growth rates was the village of Teriberka in the Murmansk region, where demand increased by 86% year-on-year, the analysts of the platform noted. Bronevik.com .
"This is due to the steady interest in the "northern" tourism, as well as the growing recognition of Teriberka as a tourist brand," they said.
Small towns have demonstrated significant dynamics. So, in Uglich (Yaroslavl region), the increase in bookings was 50%, and in Istra (Moscow region) — 45%.
"Such destinations benefit due to their proximity to large agglomerations and the popularity of short trips for one or two days," the experts noted.
The press service of the Avito Travel technology platform confirmed that in 2025, travelers have increased their interest in visiting small towns. For example, in summer, the dynamics of private housing bookings in Suzdal (Vladimir region) showed an increase of 46% year-on-year in 2024, in Myshkin (Yaroslavl region) — 76%, Staraya Russa (Novgorod region) — 56%, Toropets (Tver Region) — 36%.
"In Uglich, Russians rented 54% more apartments and 2.3 times more country houses than in 2024,— the platform's analysts noted. "In Istra, interest in apartment rentals increased by 58% year—on—year, and in suburban properties by 74%."
The head of the travel booking service for Russia and the world, Turslet, which is part of Fly, also confirmed the growth in attendance in small towns.<url>" by Maria Zhuravleva. According to her, the increase in bookings in Suzdal was about 67%.
A significant increase in bookings was recorded in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory, the company added. Bronevik.com . For example, in Dzhugba it was 60%, Gelendzhik — 43%, and Krasnaya Polyana — 27%. Areas focused on skiing and outdoor recreation were also actively growing.
"Arkhyz (Karachay-Cherkessia) added 46%, Terskol (Kabardino-Balkaria) — 27% and Dombay (Karachay-Cherkessia) — 22%, where tourists increasingly come not only during the skiing season, but also during the off—season," the analysts said.
Dombay Ski Resort
Avito Travels added that in Gelendzhik in 2025 apartments were rented more often by 20%, and country houses — by 93%, than a year earlier. In Dzhubga, the demand for daily rental housing increased by 31% year—on-year, while for suburban housing - by 2.1 times. Among ski destinations in Arkhyz in 2025, the demand for daily apartment rentals increased by 30% compared to the previous year, and for country houses — by 61%. In Gubakha (Perm Krai), users booked 61% more apartments and 102% more cottages.
"Beach holidays were also popular in 2025. Among small resort towns, demand has increased in Kabardinka, Tuapse, Divnomorskoye," the experts of the platform noted.
Why Russians choose small towns
There is no noise, traffic jams, or fuss in small towns, said Irina Osadchaya, Deputy Director General for Communication Projects at the National Priorities NGO.
"Tourists are greeted by lacy facades of wooden houses instead of skyscrapers, and the rustle of leaves instead of the hum of highways," she told Izvestia. — Here, travelers seek solitude and peace, authentic and multifaceted Russia.
View of the Mountainous part and the Kremlin of Nizhny Novgorod
The answer to the growing trend, she said, was the expansion of the Golden Ring. Instead of the usual "circle" of nine cities, in 2026 it will unite 49 more points of attraction. For the first time, it will include towns and villages of the Nizhny Novgorod and Tver regions.
— Every traveler can independently plan their ideal trip by combining several points, — said Irina Osadchaya. — For example, a visit to Sergiev Posad can be combined with a visit to the village of Abramtsevo and the village of Muranovo, whose history is associated with artists and writers. After visiting Nizhny Novgorod, take a look at Bogorodsk, where the leather and pottery industries flourished.
The development of these places under the auspices of a single brand "Golden Ring" means clear navigation, prepared infrastructure and a guaranteed level of service, the expert emphasized.
The main manor house (late 18th century, rebuilt in the 19th century) in the State Historical, Artistic and Literary Museum-Reserve "Abramtsevo" in Sergiev Posad district of the Moscow region
Small towns have become drivers of transformations in landscaping and the creation of art spaces. The Moscow Art and Industrial Institute (MHPI) conducted an analysis of data from the All-Russian Competition for the best projects for creating a comfortable urban environment for the period from 2019 to 2025.
The study captures the changing role of small towns in the cultural development of the country. They have become new centers for the formation of urban identity, where public art and landscaping become tools for the development of local communities. The transformation of the urban environment has ceased to be the prerogative of megacities.
The development of public art in small towns has economic consequences, added Olga Ryzhko, a senior lecturer at Moscow Art Institute, an architect-restorer and a member of the Federal Scientific and Methodological Council under the Ministry of Culture of Russia.
"A high—quality urban environment contributes to the growth of tourist flow, attracts investments and enhances the image of the territory," she said. — With the growth of domestic tourism, landscaped spaces with recognizable art objects are becoming points of attraction for travelers.
Dmitry Zemlyansky, Director of the Research Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics at the Institute of Applied Economic Research of the Presidential Academy (RANEPA), noted that the most sustainable model for the development of small towns is a combination of the real sector of the economy with investments in human capital, landscaping, and tourism.
— But it is difficult to find the perfect combination of all conditions, — said the expert. — Often, the impetus for the development of a small town is associated with the arrival of a new major investor or the actions of a city-forming enterprise to develop the territories of its presence.
For example, the city of Gusev in the Kaliningrad region, which over two decades has transformed from a military deployment site into a modern small industrial and innovative center with a comfortable urban environment, Dmitry Zemlyansky said. Or the city of Karabash in the Chelyabinsk region, which has dramatically improved the environmental situation in a few years.
"We can cite the example of the city of Sysert in the Sverdlovsk region, where an active local community is changing the way people think about the city through tourism and urban development," he added. — The city of Satka in the Chelyabinsk region, which combines a stable situation at a city-forming enterprise and dynamically developing nature tourism in the surrounding area.
Examples of systematically developing cities — centers of powerful agricultural territories - are not uncommon. For example, Ust-Labinsk in the Krasnodar Territory. There is an example of a radical restructuring of the urban economy, in particular Tashtagol in the Kemerovo region, which has transformed from an industrial city into a center of ski tourism.
"But it is important to note that the industrial sector still forms the basis of the economy of most small towns in the country," the expert pointed out.
According to him, its development is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the municipal economy.
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