Russia's Business Travel Bookings Rise More Than 50% in 2024 as Companies Chase New Markets

Kommersant reported on December 20, 2024 that Russia's corporate travel market grew sharply in 2024: the total number of bookings by business travellers rose more than 1.5 times year on year, according to OneTwoTrip for Business. Analytics service Trivio recorded a more than twofold increase, and the Raketa platform reported growth of 38%. Aeroclub said business demand for domestic flights rose 18%, while Lyubov Vasilyeva, head of the Ostrovok Komandirovki service, said hotel bookings inside the country grew 63% over the year and 42% abroad.

Why companies are travelling more

Mounting sanctions pressure is pushing Russian businesses to actively look for investment projects, enter new markets and open offices in other regions and countries, said Aeroclub managing director Yulia Lipatova. Vasilyeva pointed to the expansion of Russia's international air connections and companies' abandonment of remote work as important factors, adding that interest in attending major international events is also growing.

Trips cost more and are booked earlier

• A one-way economy flight within Russia cost businesses an average of 14,500 rubles in 2024, up 14% year on year, according to Aeroclub.
• The average booked night in Russian hotels rose 13% to 5,600 rubles, and abroad 8% to 17,300 rubles, Ostrovok Komandirovki data show.
• The average cost of a business trip as a whole increased 35%, Raketa estimates.
• High expenses are making companies plan ahead: the share of trips booked 21 days or more in advance rose 4 percentage points to 24%.

Who travels and where

Oil and gas companies, retailers and FMCG groups generated the main demand for business trips in 2024, Aeroclub estimates. Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi were the most popular domestic destinations, and Vladivostok was the only major route where the number of trips declined.

Foreign destinations accounted for 18% of all business trips, below the pre-crisis level of 24% reached in 2019, Lipatova said. Trivio named China the fastest-growing and leading outbound destination, with demand up several times, followed by the United Arab Emirates. Bookings for Japan and South Korea more than doubled over the year, while the average cost of a paid hotel night there fell 14% to 13,000 rubles and 18% to 15,000 rubles respectively, according to Ostrovok's calculations. Raketa marketing director Darya Zubritskaya noted that bookings for India doubled, while Georgia lost 20% year on year.

Outlook for 2025

Bookings by business travellers for 2025 are already 60% higher than a year earlier, said Stepan Mastryukov, head of OneTwoTrip for Business, who expects more trips to China and the UAE. Lipatova projects the total number of Russian corporate trips will grow 15–20% next year. Vasilyeva also forecasts further market development, helped by the opening of regional branches and the relocation of headquarters, though she did not rule out cost optimisation as travellers choose budget accommodation such as apartments.