The Russian Association of Tour Operators has revealed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be in second place for the first time in history in terms of the number of tourists arriving in Russia by the end of 2025.
“For the first time in history, approximately 74,919 Saudi nationals visited Russia for tourist purposes, an increase of 35.8% over the previous year. By the way, in 2024 Germany was in second place, while Saudi Arabia was only in sixth place,” the association said.
Experts attribute this significant increase to the introduction of direct flights.
top 10 countries
Among the countries that contributed to the increase in foreign tourists visiting Russia last year were Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan (29% increase), Turkey 16.7%, Belarus 80.9%, India 66%, as well as Oman and Kuwait.
The top 10 countries in terms of tourist arrivals to Russia were China, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Germany, the Emirates, India, Iran, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
By the end of 2025, the number of foreign tourists who visited Russia for tourism purposes will reach 1.6 million, an increase of 4.5% over the previous year.
Visa exemption
The main driver of this growth was the increase seen in the last quarter of the year, with tourist arrivals to Russia increasing by 24.4%.
The Russian Tourism Association explained that the main factor behind the significant increase in the last quarter of this year was the implementation of the visa exemption system for tourists from China.
China remains the main source of tourists visiting Russia. In 2025, its share reached 50.8% of the total number of tourists and 64.7% in the top 10 countries.
The Russian Association of Tour Operators has revealed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will become the second largest country in terms of tourist arrivals to Russia by the end of 2025 for the first time ever.
“For the first time in history, approximately 74,919 Saudi nationals visited Russia for tourism purposes, an increase of 35.8% compared to the previous year. For comparison, in 2024 Germany took second place, while Saudi Arabia remained in sixth place,” the association said.
Experts attribute this significant increase to the introduction of direct flights.
top 10 countries
Along with Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan increased by 29%, Turkey by 16.7%, Belarus by 80.9% and India by 66%. Oman and Kuwait were among the countries that contributed to the increase in foreign tourists visiting Russia last year.
The top 10 countries in terms of tourist arrivals to Russia were China, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Germany, UAE, India, Iran, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
By the end of 2025, the number of foreign tourists who visited Russia for tourism purposes will reach 1.6 million, an increase of 4.5% over the previous year.
Visa exemption
The main driver of this growth was the increase observed in the last quarter of the year, where the number of tourists arriving in Russia increased by 24.4%.
The Russian Tourism Association revealed that the main factor behind the significant increase in the last quarter of this year was the introduction of a visa exemption regime for tourists from China.
China remains the main source of tourists to Russia. In 2025, it will account for 50.8% of the total number of tourists, and 64.7% for the top 10 countries.
