Russians are now booking hotel rooms in Uzbekistan twice as often.

The booking service "Ostrovok" has recorded a significant increase in interest among Russians for overseas trips during the November holidays in 2024. According to data from the platform, the number of hotel and apartment bookings abroad for the period from November 1 to 5 rose by 77% compared to the same period in 2023. The share of international bookings in the total volume reached 28%, which is 9 percentage points higher than last year's figure (19%).

Countries in the CIS and Asia have become the most popular travel destinations. The top 10 sought-after locations include Belarus, Turkey, Thailand, Georgia, Japan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Abkhazia, Kazakhstan, and China.

Abkhazia showed the most impressive growth in demand, with bookings increasing fivefold. Kazakhstan also demonstrated significant growth, with the number of bookings quadrupling. The demand for accommodations in Japan, Turkey, Armenia, and Uzbekistan has doubled.

In China, bookings increased by 82% compared to last year. Thailand saw a 44% rise in demand, while the United Arab Emirates experienced a 33% increase.

In Uzbekistan, according to the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics, over 5 million foreign citizens visited from January to August 2024, including 535 thousand Russians. Notably, citizens of the Russian Federation lead among those arriving for leisure, with about 137 thousand in the first seven months of this year. There is a particularly notable twofold increase in demand for hotel rooms in Uzbekistan from Russian tourists during the November holidays. This indicates the growing popularity of Uzbekistan as a tourist destination among Russians. Law enforcement officials in Uzbekistan are taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of tourists.