Russia

For the full 2020 data please visit our 2020 inbound data page here. For Q1 (January -March 2020) data please visit our UK and regional quarterly data pages.

Visitor characteristics

Business visitors are more than three times as likely to be male than female
72% of holiday visitors are making a repeat visit to Britain (excluding British nationals)
Nearly all visits from Russia to Britain are made by Russian nationals
98% of departing Russians say they are either ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break

Popular activities

Dining in a restaurant

Sightseeing of Famous Buildings/ Monuments

Went Shopping

Global context


Measure	2019
International tourism expenditure (US$bn)	36.2
Global rank for international tourism expenditure	6
Number of outbound visits (m)	31.1
Most visited destination	Turkey
Most visited destination in Western Europe	Spain

Key demographic and economic data


Measure	2021
Population (m)	145.9
GDP per capita PPP (US$)	26,200
Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%)	1.3
Annual GDP growth (%)	4.5

Russia Market Snapshot (PDF, 894KB)

Russia Market Profile (PDF, 1.36MB)

Russia Aviation Profile (PDF, 520KB)

Russia COVID-19 Travel Sentiment (PDF, 475KB, Published April 2022)

Find out where visitors from Russia to the UK reside in their own country (Excel, 176KB, Published 2019)

Exchange rate

1 GBP = RUB

As of 25 May 2022

Retrieved from the Bank of England

Inbound visits to Britain from Russia

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Number of visits

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Total expenditure (GBP)

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Total nights spent

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Average length of stay (Nights)

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Average spend per visit (GBP)

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What Russians think about Britain

Russians have a broadly positive perception of the UK especially for contemporary culture, historic buildings, and vibrant cities
Perceptions of ‘welcome’ and ‘scenic natural beauty’ are less favourable
59% associate the UK with museums, 51% with music and 49% with films in 2021
46% think that a trip to Britain would be ‘educational’
France and Italy are the destinations that Russians most often deem to be the best place for delivering on the things that are most wanted for ensuring an enjoyable holiday experience
Activities that appeal to potential Russian visitors include 'taking a canal boat tour through the waterways of England', 'staying the night in a fairy-tale castle', 'enjoying a traditional afternoon tea', 'visiting Madame Tussauds', and 'shopping for quirky gifts in a seaside town'

Caring for visitors

The majority of travellers to Britain speak English and do not expect to be spoken to in Russian - however they prefer to have materials and information in Russian and Russian speaking guides for sightseeing tours and detailed itineraries and guides in Russian are highly appreciated
Russians book very last-minute, 66% of Russian visitors booked within two months of their arrival in Britain
The majority of Russian tourists (middle and lower middle class in particular) prefer to travel in groups
By contrast more wealthy Russians prefer individual travel
Russian tourists are adventurous – they are active, sociable, and seeking new experiences
British pubs are generally loved and pub food usually goes down well
They like the reassurance of branded hotels and all-inclusive trips

The leisure & travel trade

Friends, family and colleagues are the most influential information source for Russian visitors, closely followed by information from search engines.
Working through tour operators, travel agents make up of more than 50% of all holiday bookings (travel and accommodation combined) in Russia
Large tour operators research their programmes in February and March and August and September

Access to Britain from Russia


Measure	2019
Weekly aircraft departures	70
Weekly seat capacity	12,238
Airports with direct routes in Russia	5
Airports with direct routes in Britain	4

Visitors from Russia require a standard visitor visa to visit Britain – with a multi-entry six-month visa currently costing £100
In 2019, there were 70 weekly departures with an average of 12,238 seat capacity
The Moscow to London corridor is the most travelled
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic led to a 52% reduction in seat capacity from Russia to the UK in 2020
Passengers destined for Moscow pay £13 in Air Passenger Duty if travelling economy class

Markets

Russia