Tatarstan residents prefer travelling around the republic, Moscow and the Emirates

A growth of 4-5% is expected

Tatarstan and its capital continue to be among the most popular travel destinations, both among Russians and foreigners. Such data was presented to Realnoe Vremya by the State Committee for Tourism of the republic.

The hotels also claim a good planned workload. Inga Gadzaova, the president of the Kazan and Tatarstan Hotels Association, told Realnoe Vremya that about 85% of rooms have already been booked for the May Day holidays:

“Kazan has always been and will remain a popular destination. The city is in high demand. Based on the current occupancy, the following trend is observed: May Day holidays are busier than the weekend on May 9th.”

However, such forecasts may not be justified: it is possible that tourists will start booking rooms on May 9th closer to the date itself. “Last year it was very good for the May holidays — the load was about 80-85%. But we must take into account that there were more events then, so this year there may be fewer guests. At the same time, if we look at the statistics for several years without 2024, in general, some increase is expected," Gadzaova added.

Tatarstan citizens choose domestic destinations

Tatarstan residents themselves, in turn, prefer domestic destinations. Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Black Sea coast are traditionally among the top places to travel during the May weekend, Ramil Miftakhov, the head of the Association of Travel Agencies of Tatarstan, told the publication.

At the same time, Tatarstan residents do not ignore their native republic. According to the State Committee on Tourism, Kamskoye Ustye, Tetyushi, Veliky Bolgar, Kukmorsky district, Chistopol and Sviyazhsk began to gain popularity.

The head of the association presented the top 3 popular destinations in May in this order: the Emirates, Egypt and Turkey.

“Now people's priorities have changed a bit. Previously, they chased the all-inclusive format to stay all the time in the hotel, overeat and get drunk. It's not so important to them now," he added.

At the same time, things were different last year. According to Kazan Airport, Antalya became the most sought-after foreign destination in the period from May 1 to May 11, 2024. Istanbul took the second place, and Sharm el Sheikh took the third. Dubai and Hurghada also entered the top 5. As for domestic flights, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Mineralnye Vody and Novosibirsk represented the top last year.

Ecotourism is growing in popularity

The options for a May vacation include suburban facilities. As the Directorate for Natural Territories of the Institute of Urban Development of Tatarstan told Realnoe Vremya, ecotourism is growing in popularity in the republic.

“We are observing a trend: the number of people who choose rural recreation facilities is increasing every year. This type of recreation is becoming more and more popular. In 2023 — 70,000 guests, in 2024 — 10,000," they explained.

At the same time, glamping sites expect lower occupancy than last year, Ilnar Khamidullin, the co-founder of Urban Camp, told the publication. At the moment, about 35% of seats are booked for the May holidays.

“Compared to last year, the occupancy rate is slightly worse. Maybe people will start booking closer to the dates, but for now. Maybe the increase in the number of campsites played a role, or people had less money. At the same time, there are regular guests who have already booked their houses," the source explained.

Residents of Tatarstan spend their holidays in glamping areas of the republic more often. However, the proportion of visitors is also growing during the summer season.