Russia's war in Ukraine devastates Russian summer tourism

The ongoing war in Ukraine and accompanying sanctions have crippled Russian travel. Direct flights to Western Europe have ceased, major booking platforms such as Airbnb are unavailable, and western airlines refuse to operate in Russia, forcing ticket prices and visa requirements to soar.

Domestic resorts, especially on the annexed Crimean peninsula, have seen bookings fall by about 30 %. Frequent Ukrainian drone strikes have disrupted fuel supplies and emptied Black Sea beaches, prompting luxury hotels to move entertainment to underground bunkers during air‑raid sirens.

The Kremlin tapped emergency reserves, injecting roughly $56.7 billion into the regional tourism sector after local firms lost nearly $20 billion in a single month. Nationwide hotel reservations dropped 12 % and cancellation rates rose by a third. With an average public‑sector salary of $525 per month, a modest trip to Turkey costs about $1,575, making vacations unrealistic for most Russians. Even visits to domestic attractions such as Lake Baikal have declined by a third.