Tourism 2026: Resetting Destinations and New Growth Points

Let’s examine the key trends shaping the industry.

Sanatorium Boom: Young People Rethink Leisure

The main surprise of 2026 is the revival of interest in sanatoriums, including among young people. According to Yandex Travel, demand for sanatorium holidays among Generation Z and millennials has grown by 31% year-on-year. Half of young tourists go to sanatoriums for treatment and wellness procedures, while the other half view health resorts as places for relaxed recreation.

Among all wellness travel options, sanatoriums with medical programs lead the way: they were chosen by 47% of respondents. In second place is countryside recreation with a sauna, pool, or massage (21%).

What Is Behind This Trend?

A shift in focus from treatment to prevention and active longevity.

Personalized medicine — programs are tailored to individual health characteristics.

Technology integration — all processes, from diagnostics to leisure, are built into a unified digital environment.

New demands are emerging in the wellness tourism market: digital detox, recovery programs, and the “sport + recovery” combination.

Ecotourism: National Parks Break Records

Russian nature reserves and national parks are preparing for record tourist flows. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, by the end of 2026 the number of visitors to specially protected natural areas may reach 25 million people — 11% more than in 2025. For comparison, in 2025 these areas welcomed 22.6 million visitors — 28% more than a year earlier.

In the first four months of 2026, tourist flow to federally protected natural areas totaled about 5 million people, with the main influx traditionally expected in summer and early autumn. The leaders in visitor numbers were Kislovodsky National Park, Sochi National Park, and Losiny Ostrov.

The Economics of Ecotourism

The total contribution of ecotourism to the national economy, including related sectors such as transport, catering, and retail, is estimated at 120–150 billion rubles per year.

As part of the national project “Environmental Well-Being,” 41 new facilities — from visitor centers to research bases — are planned for national parks. However, for sustainable industry development, systemic issues must be addressed: weak logistics, a shortage of modern infrastructure, and the lack of a clear methodology for calculating maximum anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems.

The Far East: Explosive Growth and New Horizons

The Far East is demonstrating the highest growth rates among all federal districts. Interest in the region is driven by ecological, ethnic, and event tourism, as well as infrastructure development.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves:

In the first four months of 2026, inbound tourist flow to the Far East increased by 91% compared to the same period in 2025.
Interest in the Far East will double over three years — reaching 8.5 million tourists.
The region expects to welcome more than 300,000 foreign tourists in 2026.

Why Do Tourists Choose the Far East?

The development of ecological, ethnic, and event tourism, along with active infrastructure expansion, makes the region increasingly attractive. Young people under 24 choose the Far East more often than other age groups (43%).

The 2026 yachting season has opened in Sakhalin — from here, it takes just a few hours by sea to reach the Aniva lighthouse perched on a sheer cliff in the middle of the ocean, and a few days to reach Tyatya volcano on Kunashir or the white cliffs of Iturup. For businesses, this means new opportunities: demand is growing for logistics, hotel infrastructure, and excursion services.

The Arctic and the Far North: Where Adventure Begins

Interest in the Arctic is growing at a similar pace. According to a survey by the Zen platform, 54% of Russians are seriously considering traveling to the Arctic, and 21% plan to make such a trip in the coming years.

Norilsk: The New Northern Tourism Capital

The city of Norilsk, long associated with environmental problems, is transforming into a new tourist attraction point. In the first half of 2025, Norilsk became the leader in booking growth among all northern destinations in Russia — up 93%. Since January 2026, a tourist tax has been introduced in the city — a clear sign that tourism here is no longer exotic.

The “Zatundra” project opens significant opportunities for regional development within the national project “Tourism and the Hospitality Industry”: the new destination is expected to attract around 50,000 tourists per year while preserving the unique Arctic nature.

Future Plans

By 2030, according to the Ministry of Economic Development, up to 3 million people annually will travel to the Arctic — 7–8% of Russia’s total tourist flow. In the Far North, plans include creating more than 15,000 jobs in tourism and investing up to 50 billion rubles annually in this sector.

Places of Power: A New High-Potential Segment

A separate trend of 2026 is growing interest in so-called “places of power.” These are not just scenic locations, but territories with a special energy where people seek inspiration, renewal, and inner balance.

The top 60 places of power in Russia include:

Arkaim — an ancient settlement in the Chelyabinsk region known as the “Russian Stonehenge”
The Chersonesos Bell in Sevastopol
Krasnoyarsk Stolby — unique rock formations
The Valley of the Kings in Khakassia
Ded Moroz’s Estate in Veliky Ustyug
The “Bridge of Predictions” in Tomsk

Altai, Baikal, and Karelia traditionally remain among the most desirable destinations precisely because of their energy and untouched nature. Lake Baikal remains a summer 2026 hit.

For entrepreneurs and investors, this means new niches are emerging: campgrounds, eco-trails, glamping sites, ethno-hotels, and guided services. Demand for “meaningful recreation” is creating a market that is only just beginning to take shape.

What This Means for Business and Investors

The restructuring of tourism preferences opens new opportunities:

The sanatorium and resort industry requires modernization and reformatting to meet the needs of a younger audience.
Ecotourism needs infrastructure development while maintaining environmental balance — both a challenge and a growth point for developers and operators.
The Far East and the Arctic are high-potential regions where the government is ready to support investment in tourism infrastructure.
“Places of power” are forming a new demand segment that is still insufficiently supplied.

For employees who frequently travel on business trips across Russia, it is worth considering insurance coverage. The insurance company MAKS offers:

The “Protection on the Road” program — annual insurance for frequent travel. It covers emergency medical care for injuries, poisoning, and sudden illnesses in any region of the Russian Federation except the place of permanent residence. In an emergency, it is enough to call the 24/7 dispatch service, and a doctor will direct you to the nearest medical facility.
For short-term business trips or vacations, the “Feel at Home” program is available for periods from 1 to 90 days. The policy includes emergency medical and dental care, as well as repatriation if necessary.

You can purchase a policy online at makc.ru

Domestic tourism in Russia is shifting from quantitative to qualitative growth. Those who manage to adapt to new demands will gain a competitive advantage in a growing market.

Sources: data from Rosselkhozbank (SPIEF 2026), the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, Yandex Travel, ATOR, RST, Interfax, Izvestia, and an Avito Travel study (July 2026).