Russian regions welcomed nearly 61.5 million tourists in the first eight months of 2025, according to Rosstat. The Central and Southern Federal Districts proved the most popular, while the North Caucasus drew the fewest visitors.
The Central Federal District led the ranking with 18.7 million visitors. Moscow retained its title as Russia’s most visited city, attracting 8.2 million tourists. Other top destinations in the district included the Moscow, Tver and Yaroslavl regions — home to key stops on the famous Golden Ring route — with a combined footfall of around 45 million across various types of travel.
The Southern Federal District came in second, drawing 11 million visitors, largely thanks to Krasnodar Krai, the Rostov Region, and Crimea. Nearly 9,000 hotels and sanatoriums operate in the area, making it a hub for domestic beach and wellness tourism.
The Northwestern Federal District, including St Petersburg, Leningrad, and Novgorod regions, ranked third with 8.8 million visitors.
At the other end of the spectrum, the North Caucasus saw the lowest tourist numbers — 2.2 million, despite an 8.4% year-on-year increase in accommodation facilities. The Far East fared slightly better with 3.1 million visitors. Other regions included the Volga District (8.4 million) and Siberia (5.4 million).
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