Press releases

MINSK, 6 April (BelTA) - Belarus is the most popular CIS destination for Russian tourists, BelTA learned from the Russian online hotel booking service Oktogo.ru.

In 2015 Belarus is leading in popularity among Russian tourists. It is followed by Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The Oktogo.ru statistics show that in 2015 Belarus accounts for 40% of all trips made by Russian tourists to the CIS member states. Russian tourists coming to Belarus independently, not through travel agencies, spend an average of three days in this country.

The top-10 most popular cities among Russian tourists in 2015 includes three Belarusian cities: Minsk (number 1 in the rating), Brest and Vitebsk. The top-10 also includes Kiev, Baku, Almaty, Astana, Tashkent, Yerevan, and Lvov.

In 2015 the Russians make the longest trips (an average of five days) to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The shortest trips are made to Brest (one day and a half). Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is the most expensive city in the CIS in terms of expenses for Russian tourists. The most budget city is Vitebsk, Belarus.

The rating is made based on the number of hotel reservations made by Russian tourists in 2015.