November Travel Trends: Shifts in Domestic and International Booking Patterns
This year’s holiday period shows a notable tilt toward domestic travel. A large share of travelers, just over half, plan a nationwide itinerary during the November holidays, dipping from the previous year. The latest OneTwoTrip study, reviewed by socialbites.ca, highlights a drop from 58.2 percent in 2022 to roughly 51.5 percent this year, signaling a subtle slowing of countrywide touring amid evolving travel preferences.
Hotel preferences within Russia also reflect discernible trends. Three and four star properties remain the most sought after, accounting for about 37.3 percent and 35.4 percent of bookings respectively. A growing segment of travelers opts for unstarred stays such as apartments and hostels, which together attract around 18 percent of reservations. Five-star accommodations represent a smaller but meaningful portion of bookings, hovering near 9.3 percent, indicating continued demand for high-end options among a subset of visitors.
Capital city holidays are especially popular for extended breaks. Moscow leads the country with about 16.6 percent of all hotel bookings during the November period. St. Petersburg follows, representing approximately 13.3 percent of reservations in the early part of the month. Sochi appears in the top tier as well, holding roughly 12.2 percent of bookings. Other cities drawing travelers include Kaliningrad at 9.9 percent, Kazan at 5.6 percent, Esto-Sadok at 5 percent, Zelenogradsk at 2.8 percent, Voronezh at 2 percent, Nizhny Novgorod at 1 percent, and Kostroma around 1 percent. These figures illustrate a diverse mix of urban destinations that attract travelers seeking culture, architecture, and coastal or mountain retreats during the holiday period.
When travelers look abroad, four-star accommodations again lead the way, securing about 34.9 percent of international bookings for the November holidays. Many visitors pair stays in four-star options with stays in apartments, hostels, or guesthouses, and these mixed preferences account for roughly 20.5 percent of reservations in the three-star category. Non-starred accommodations also remain a solid portion of the market, contributing about 18.5 percent of bookings. Five-star rooms appeal to roughly 15.8 percent of travelers, while two-star properties attract around 10.3 percent, illustrating a clear tiered demand for international stays.
Outside the domestic market, Istanbul maintains its appeal as a top international destination for the November holiday, drawing about 6.4 percent of travelers. It is followed by Bangkok at 5.8 percent and Dubai at 3.5 percent, continuing the momentum seen in prior years. Other popular cities include Singapore at 3.1 percent, Rome at 2.9 percent, Pattaya at 2.6 percent, Minsk at 2.5 percent, Beijing at 2.3 percent, Shanghai at 1.9 percent, and Paris at 1.7 percent. These rankings reflect a broad interest in city breaks that combine sightseeing with distinctive local experiences across multiple continents.
Observers note that the summer of 2023 brought important shifts in travel sentiment among former residents, signaling a broader reassessment of travel choices during periods of social and economic change. This evolving dynamic continues to shape both where people decide to go and how they choose to stay while on holiday.