A collaborative study conducted by analysts from MTS Bank, Ozone Market, and YouDo.com examined how Russians spent on travel during the May holidays. The findings show that the period of April to May 2023 saw a noticeable uptick in activity across travel agencies, with trips within Russia emerging as the most popular option during the May holidays. The researchers shared the results with socialbites.ca.
According to MTS Bank analysts, April–May 2023 saw travel agency transactions rise by 66 percent, air tickets sell 59 percent more, and train tickets 18 percent more than in the previous year. Duty-free shops also reported higher activity, with the number of transactions increasing by 35 percent.
Domestic travel dominated the May holiday season, with 88 percent of Ozon Travel ticket sales attributed to trips within Russia. The most frequented destinations were Moscow (20%), St. Petersburg (15%), Sochi (12%), Mineralnye Vody (7%), and Kaliningrad (6%). The top five for 2022 differed mainly in the last position, where Yekaterinburg appeared.
For overseas destinations in 2023, demand remained strong for Turkey and Armenia, continuing a trend from the previous year. Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Israel also ranked among the top five for the May holiday period.
On average, Ozon Travel customers spent 1.4 times more during the May holidays compared with the prior year. A notable pattern was that Russians often bought holidays in advance and at higher prices, likely reflecting elevated demand and long-weekend planning. However, the cost of last-minute tickets in late April to early May 2023 was lower than in 2022.
In entertainment, MTS Bank observed the largest growth in demand for museum and attraction visits, with ticket sales up by 80 percent versus the May holidays of the previous year. Aquariums and zoos saw a 53 percent rise in transactions, while parks and circuses grew by 52 percent.
Analysts from YouDo.com noted that the long weekend contributed to a 32 percent rise in demand for holiday-related services in late April to early May 2023, compared with the same period a month earlier. Russians began seeking zoo nannies and companions for the elderly, stylists to assist with vacation wardrobe selection, and helpers to manage packing for travel and airport arrivals.
Earlier observations highlighted preferences for travel within major hubs such as St. Petersburg, Sochi, Istanbul, and Yerevan during June, underscoring a continuing interest in both domestic and international getaways.