In the past six months, Russians spent a record $23.3 billion abroad
Russian citizens spent $23.3 billion abroad during the first six months of 2026. This is a record high for the past 11 years, according to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation’s estimate of service imports under the “travel” category.
The bulk of this amount consists of Russians’ spending during trips abroad. Compared to the same period last year, the figure rose by 14% and came close to the record level set in 2014. Back then, Russians spent $23.9 billion abroad in the first half of the year and $50.4 billion for the year as a whole.
The growth in outbound tourism is occurring against the backdrop of a strengthening Russian ruble, as well as problems with vacationing at southern resorts in Russia due to attacks and security risks.
According to data from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, total imports of services rose by 16% year-over-year in the second quarter, reaching $87 billion. The regulator cites the rising cost of the average travel package for Russians as one of the reasons.
In particular, due to the war in the Middle East, tourists from Russia are increasingly forced to take more expensive direct flights to countries in South and Southeast Asia instead of routes with layovers in the Middle East.
In addition, some tourists were forced to reschedule their planned trips and pay extra fees for changing their reservations. Another factor was the increase in tourist traffic to China following the introduction of a visa-free regime in September 2025.
Consequently, Russian tourists are spending more and more money outside the Russian Federation, despite statements by Russian authorities about the need for citizens to shift their focus to domestic tourism.
As a reminder, Russians are getting into fights at gas stations over gasoline.
Attempts by Russian authorities to establish fuel supplies to the temporarily occupied Crimea are being thwarted by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, which continue to destroy fuel trucks and tankers using long-range UAVs, despite efforts to camouflage the cargo and jam Starlink communications.
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, fuel problems could escalate into a much more serious crisis. Due to logistical difficulties on the peninsula, prices have already begun to rise, lines are forming, and residents are increasingly stocking up on essential goods.
The shortage of automotive fuel, previously observed in the temporarily occupied Crimea, has begun to spread to the southern regions of the Russian Federation. Residents of the Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast are reporting shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel.
