According to data from Rosstat, the number of guests staying in hotels and other similar accommodations in Russia from January to June 2023 was 35 million people, a 13% increase from the first half of 2022. Comparing it to the pre-pandemic first half of 2019, there was a 15% increase in the number of guests, as 30.3 million people stayed in accommodations during that period. The demand for vacations in Russia rose due to postponed trips and increasing prices in Turkish hotels.
Almost 97% of guests in collective accommodation facilities in Russia were Russian citizens, with 33.8 million people. In the first half of 2023, 1.28 million foreigners stayed in Russian hotels, 3% less than the previous year's 1.32 million people. Before the pandemic, the number of foreign guests in Russian hotels during the first half of 2019 was almost two and a half times higher than the current figures, with a total of 4.4 million foreign guests.
Overall, during the first half of 2023, guests spent 135.3 million nights in Russian hotels and inns, which marks a 12.6% increase from the previous year's 120.2 million nights and a 23.3% increase from 2019's 109.7 million nights.
This year, Russians who usually go on vacation abroad have observed a noticeable surge in the popularity of domestic resorts. The Black Sea coast, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other significant regional centers now have crowded accommodations. Instead of traveling to Turkey, Russian travelers are increasingly choosing to stay in high-quality, five-star family hotels within Russia due to the increased expenses of vacationing in Turkey.
Russian hotel revenues increased
According to Rosstat, Russian hotels and other collective accommodation facilities have earned 339.6 billion rubles in revenue for the first half of 2023, a 24% increase compared to last year's earnings of 273.6 billion rubles. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, incomes have risen by 44.2% from 235.5 billion rubles.
The rise in revenue is attributed to both an increase in the number of guests and a surge in prices at collective accommodation facilities. Experts pointed out that hotel prices for 3–5-star establishments would rise by approximately 8% in the summer. In regions that attract many tourists, such as Krasnodar Region, Moscow, and Tatarstan, the price growth for three-star hotels is higher than average. However, prices are lower in Crimea and the Altai Region than last year.
Official statistics reveal that the average cost of staying in a 4–5-star hotel in June increased by about 12% compared to 2022, reaching 3 thousand rubles per day per person. Last year, the cost was 2.7 thousand rubles. Moreover, the average price of staying in a three-star hotel in June was RUR 1.9 thousand, an 8.5% increase from the previous year's RUR 1.8 thousand.