The results of the summer tourist season of 2024 showed a growth in tourist flow by an average of 10-15% compared to the same period last year. This was reported by the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, Mokhmad Akhmadov.
According to him, from May to August 2024, the tourist flow amounted to 35 million trips. The main growth was due to car tourists - more than half of the travelers traveled around the country by car. This is largely due to the fact that the cost of travel to a vacation spot by car is much lower than by plane or train, especially for families with children. People are also attracted by the freedom to choose a route and travel time.
The growth in the popularity of car tourism, according to experts, is also facilitated by the consistent implementation of the Concept of Development of Automobile Tourism and the Transport Strategy, thanks to which the number of high-speed highways is growing, and the quality of both federal and regional roads is consistently improving. At the same time, the tasks of increasing the number of accommodations, catering and retail facilities, multifunctional road service areas and filling stations remain relevant. Also, a "weak point" on many roads in the country is the quality of communication and mobile internet, insufficient development of digital services, and the lack of convenient navigation along tourist car routes.
In addition, Mokhmad Akhmadov noted that there are practically no charging stations for electric vehicles on highways at present. The senator believes that all these issues need to be taken into account in the draft program for the development of automobile tourism until 2035, which the Ministry of Economic Development should submit to the Government of the Russian Federation by the end of this year.