Hotel bookings in Kazan for the New Year holidays double
Experts forecast an increase in tourist flow to Tatarstan by the end of the year
Tourist flow to Tatarstan has been growing steadily — within a year Kazan has risen from 13th to 9th place in terms of the share of flight bookings among all domestic flights. Hotel reservations for the New Year holidays have also doubled — the capital of the republic ranks 5th with a 5.7% share of bookings. According to forecasts by experts from Realnoe Vremya, tourist flow to Tatarstan will increase by the end of the year. Moreover, various types of recreation are in demand. Read more in the material by Realnoe Vremya.
Among flight bookings across Russia, Kazan ranks 9th with a 1.7% share of all domestic flights. These figures were provided to Realnoe Vremya by the press service of the OneTwoTrip platform. In September last year, Kazan’s share stood at 1.5%, placing it only 13th.
Bookings are already being made for the New Year holidays of 2025–2026. Most travellers to the capital of Tatarstan will arrive from St Petersburg and Moscow. According to hotel reservation data, Kazan ranks 5th with a 5.7% share of bookings for the New Year holidays — compared with last year, the number has doubled.
According to flight booking statistics for autumn departures, Kazan is in 7th place with a 2.6% share (last year the share was slightly higher at 2.8%, but the city ranked 8th). In the autumn hotel ranking, Kazan holds 4th place with a 3.7% share (last autumn — 5th place with 3.5% of bookings).
Number of road travellers is growing
Alongside air ticket sales, the share of car tourism is also on the rise. This was reported to Realnoe Vremya by Andrey Gornostayev, representative of the National Union of Camping and Car Tourism Professionals (NSPKA) in the Volga Federal District.
“I have no doubt that by the end of 2025 the number of road travellers in Tatarstan will have increased. I believe the growth will amount to around 15% compared with 2024,” he said.
According to Gornostayev’s estimates, around one thousand crews — cars — travelled to Tatarstan last year.
“It is very difficult to count road travellers, because they are not registered in any way. In a year, perhaps around one thousand crews pass through Tatarstan. As a rule, it is a family of three to four people. With new roads opening, there is heavy traffic along the federal highways. I believe that around 30–40 thousand people visited Tatarstan.”
Most road travellers visit Tatarstan with a long stopover on their way to more distant regions — Altai or the Urals. They most often come from the central part of Russia.
“I am sure this is not the limit. We very much hope that with the opening of the section to Tyumen the number of trips will only increase. Those who wish to discover this type of tourism will not regret it, since our roads are now excellent. They are high-quality, they are safe. And most importantly, there is much to see in Tatarstan,” he expressed with confidence.
Glamping sites are also on the rise
The number of guests at glamping sites in Tatarstan is also increasing. This was reported to the publication by Ilnar Khamidullin, co-founder of Urman Camp:
“In our case specifically, there is a slight drop — about two percent compared with last year. But this is due to that overall the number of glamping sites in Tatarstan has grown, and there has been a redistribution of clients. But if we talk about the sector as a whole, there are definitely more guests. And at the same time, they now have a wider choice.”
Khamidullin also noted that they have not yet opened bookings for the New Year holidays, however requests for them are already coming in.
“Usually during the New Year holidays occupancy is at 100% — bookings cover the period from 31 December to 3 January. Last year we closed reservations as early as October — everything was taken,” the expert said.
The rise in demand for countryside tourism was also confirmed to Realnoe Vremya by the State Committee of Tatarstan for Tourism.
“Alongside the steady interest in excursions and history, outdoor recreation is gaining popularity: glamping, ecotourism, and visits to developed eco-trails are becoming increasingly in demand, especially during the warm season. In addition, demand for event tourism is growing — people seek to attend festivals and events that attract guests from different regions. It is not just the place that matters, but the unique experience.”
The committee told the publication that they have not yet forecasted the number of tourists for the year, but they plan to announce the figures in the near future.