MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. The number of international trips taken by Russians in 2024 has exceeded 14 million, increasing by over 17% compared to the previous year, the Association of Tour Operators in Russia reported.

"The total annual outbound flow of Russian tourists who visited the top 20 popular countries for tourist, business, and official purposes reached 17.35 million people in the outgoing year. This is 17.2% more than in 2023. The number of traditional tourist trips (including business) will total over 14 million in the overall volume of tourist flows at the end of this year, also growing by over 17%," the association said.

At the end of 2024, the top 5 most popular foreign destinations for Russians included Turkey, Egypt, UAE, Thailand, and China, with trips to these countries accounting for nearly 85% of sales. The top 10 included Cuba, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Maldives, and Indonesia.

Trips to Turkey, which ranks first, nearly reached the record of 2019 (seven million tourists) at the end of the year, the association noted. Experts predict that in 2024, the number of Russian tourists visiting the country may surpass 6.8 million people. Among other popular destinations, Egypt showed a notable growth in organized tourist flow (1.5 million, a 17% increase).