Russian interest in winter sports grows in 2022, with Turks, Georgians, Montenegrins and Sheregesh leading the trend
In 2022, a growing curiosity about skiing among Russians emerged, highlighted by a joint study conducted by the advertising services platform YouTravel.me and a marketplace for author-led tours, with findings reviewed by Gazeta.ru. The research mapped popular destinations and revealed how Russians approached ski and snowboard holidays, showing a clear pattern of preference for certain international resorts as well as domestic slopes.
Age plays a central role in participation, with the most active group aged 25 to 44. Across the board, skiing and snowboarding drew similar interest from men and women, with roughly 51 percent of male enthusiasts and 49 percent of female enthusiasts pursuing winter sports. This core demographic—skiers and snowboarders alike—primarily falls within the 25 to 44 age range, representing more than six tenths of the overall audience in 2022.
Outlook on interests shows skiers leaning toward financial services, automotive topics, and cycling gear, while snowboarders gravitate toward entertainment and home products such as video games, films, and household goods. Compared with 2021, both groups displayed reduced interest in books and business services, signaling shifting priorities amid evolving consumer landscapes.
Analysts note that winter sports enthusiasts moved into a higher income bracket in 2022, with 46 percent of snowboarders and 44 percent of skiers reporting elevated earnings. This trend suggests increased spending on equipment and winter recreation, as observed by Anatoly Novozhilov, who leads development of advertising services on the platform and comments on rising costs across the sector.
Seasonality also shaped activity. Russians tended to plan ski trips in the first half of the year, aligning with peak season timing in winter and early spring. The year 2022 saw the sharpest rise in interest in April, influenced by higher travel prices abroad and the practice of domestic resorts offering discounts toward the season’s end, including reductions on professional equipment.
Overall, travel activity for ski tours surged, with a 59 percent increase in 2022 compared to 2021. January and February alone accounted for about two thirds of all tours sold during the year, underscoring a strong early-year demand spike for ski holidays.
International favorites for 2022 included Turkey, Georgia, and Montenegro. On the domestic side, Russians most often selected Sheregesh and other standout regions such as the Kola Peninsula, Kamchatka, and the North Caucasus, including Elbrus, Dombay, and Arkhyz. This mix of international and domestic destinations reflects a broad appetite for diverse winter experiences among the Russian traveling public.
Financially, average spending on non-flight ski tours stood at about 39,816 rubles in 2022, marking an eight percent rise from the previous year. Among the most expensive itineraries were six-day trips to Kamchatka, which could reach up to 56,800 rubles without airfare. By contrast, budget-friendly options began in the North Caucasus, where a three-day package could start around 13,500 rubles per person, illustrating a wide spectrum of price points for different budgets.
Geographic distribution of interest showed that residents of the Moscow region accounted for nearly a third of all ski and snowboard activity in 2022, with 29 percent. Other notable regions included St. Petersburg at eight percent, Krasnoyarsk Territory at six percent, Kamchatka at four percent, and Primorye at three percent, highlighting regional variations in appetite for winter sports.
Beyond these leaders, interest also rose among residents of the Altai Territory, Kaluga, Kemerovo, and Kostroma, aided by improved access to specialized ski shops and nearby resorts. In contrast, areas like Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Ulyanovsk, and the YNAO showed comparatively lower engagement with skiing and snowboarding.
An earlier report noted rising demand for outdoor activities among Russians traveling to South Korea, signaling a broader trend of growing outdoor recreation interest across destinations.