During the New Year holidays, Russian travelers favored several destinations, with Egypt leading at 25 percent, St. Petersburg at 22 percent, the United Arab Emirates at 14 percent, Turkey at 13 percent, and Thailand at 11 percent. This pattern comes from a study conducted by Rosgosstrakh, the insurance provider, together with the travel platform Travelata.ru, a copy of which is held by socialbites.ca .
The average cost of an Egypt tour rose by 59 thousand rubles year over year, reaching 220.5 thousand rubles. Thailand stood out as the most expensive option, averaging 326 thousand rubles per trip.
Bookings for the New Year period rose by about 40 percent, despite broad price increases across travel. Russians showed a preference for four- and five-star accommodations, representing 36 percent and 27 percent of stays, respectively. Travelata.ru’s Marketing Director, Oleg Kozyrev, noted that breakfast-only plans were the most popular meal option, accounting for 38 percent of hotel arrangements in the statistics.
Within Russia, travelers most often visited St. Petersburg, the resort areas of Sochi, and Krasnaya Polyana. On domestic trips, Russians spent an average of 86.6 thousand rubles per person for travel within the country.
When purchasing travel insurance for New Year trips, many Russians added premium coverage for additional risks while keeping standard medical coverage. The most common add-ons were accident protection (16 percent), followed by options for trip cancellation and sports-related risks. Civil liability and luggage protection were the least requested items during the holiday period.
There was also discussion about regional trends, noting that January tends to see increased hotel bookings in certain regions. This pattern suggests shifting preferences and evolving priorities for holiday travel among Russians as the calendar turns the page to the new year .
Overall, the data reflects a blend of international and domestic travel choices among Russian holidaymakers, with cost factors and hotel quality playing a decisive role in destination selection. The findings highlight how price, meal plans, and insurance options influence consumer behavior during peak travel seasons. For travelers in North America, these trends underline the importance of comparing package deals, understanding meal options, and weighing insurance add-ons when planning winter getaways. This broader perspective helps travelers plan smarter, balancing comfort with value as destinations across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe re-emerge as popular choices for year-end travel .
In closing, market indicators point to continued growth in both international and domestic holiday bookings in the coming months, with travelers weighing costs against comfort as part of a broader trend toward more strategic, value-driven vacation planning .