Russian AI Reveals the Most Expensive and Popular Vacation Spots in the Country

Sochi and Anapa top both the popularity and cost rankings according to a new analysis by VTB and the GeoPlatform AI service.

A Russian artificial intelligence service, GeoPlatform, has ranked the country's most expensive and most popular domestic travel destinations. The data, analyzed by VTB, highlights where Russians are heading — and how much they’re spending.

Top-tier destinations in terms of cost include Sochi, Anapa, Belokurikha in the Altai region, Yalta, and Vladivostok. In these cities, tourists typically spend between 1,500 and 2,500 rubles per day. The average vacation length in these spots ranges from 11 to 14 days.

The most visited locations are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Sochi, and Anapa. Tourists in these cities tend to spend between 2,000 and 2,500 rubles daily, with Sochi alone averaging 2,482 rubles per person per day.

Travelers from Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, and Krasnodar Krai account for nearly half of all summer trips within the country.

To promote tourism even in less-traveled regions, Russia is deploying new digital tools. One of the latest innovations is an interactive national map. By simply pointing their smartphone camera at a region, users can access video guides highlighting local attractions, cultural heritage, and investment opportunities.