- BIST10010,760-3.64%
- USD49.86+0.15%
- EUR55.82+0.52%
- GOLD3,898.90-3.29%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN77,871+0.56%
- November 1, 202617°
- BIST10010,760-3.64%
- USD49.86+0.15%
- EUR55.82+0.52%
- GOLD3,898.90-3.29%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN77,871+0.56%
- November 1, 202617°
Türkiye remains Russians' top autumn destination as UAE enters top three
From September 1 to October 25, Türkiye accounted for 21.2% of overseas trips made by users of the Pay Worldwide service. The UAE doubled its share during the season and rose from 11th to third place, while nearly 5.7 million Russians visited Türkiye from January through September.
Türkiye retained first place among Russians' overseas destinations during the 2026 autumn shoulder season. The figures come from the fintech service Pay Worldwide, whose research was published by TASS. Analysts examined anonymized user payments from June 1 to October 25 and compared the summer period (June–August) with the autumn period from September 1 to October 25. Türkiye accounted for 21.2% of trips in the autumn, followed by China with 13.1% and the United Arab Emirates with 7.7%.
The UAE makes the biggest breakthrough of the autumn
The UAE made the most notable jump: the country ranked only 11th in the summer, with a 3.7% share, but rose to third place in the autumn, doubling its figure. Thailand moved from seventh to fourth place, rising from 4.8% to 6.3%, while Japan climbed from 15th to 11th, increasing from 3.1% to 3.9%. Georgia, by contrast, dropped out of the summer top three as its share fell from 9.4% to 5.3%. The leading destination also saw its share decline, from 28.8% in the summer to 21.2% in the autumn.
“Türkiye remains in first place, but by autumn significantly more people are choosing the UAE, China and Thailand,” said Pavel Belov, the service's development director. Autumn travel peaked in the second half of September, when there were nearly 24 new trips per week for every 1,000 users who paid by card. That matched the peak week at the end of July and exceeded the figure for every week in August.
| Autumn ranking | Country | Autumn share, % | Summer share, % | Summer ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Türkiye | 21.2 | 28.8 | 1 |
| 2 | China | 13.1 | — | — |
| 3 | UAE | 7.7 | 3.7 | 11 |
| 4 | Thailand | 6.3 | 4.8 | 7 |
| 5 | Italy | 5.4 | — | — |
| 6 | Georgia | 5.3 | 9.4 | in the top three |
| 7 | Vietnam | 5.0 | — | — |
| 8 | France | 4.4 | — | — |
| 9 | Spain | 4.1 | — | — |
| 10 | Indonesia | 4.0 | — | — |
Source: Pay Worldwide service research (TASS). Summer — June 1–August 31; autumn — September 1–October 25, 2026. An em dash means the data were not published.
Interest in the UAE is also confirmed by the Ostrovok booking service. The service estimates that demand among Russian tourists for the UAE is now at its highest level since the start of the Middle Eastern crisis: in the third quarter, it grew by 50% compared with the second quarter among independent travelers and by 65% among organized travelers. An average night at a hotel in the UAE cost 18,500 rubles in the autumn, 5% less than a year earlier.
Turkish hotels twice as popular as a year ago
Other services also rank Türkiye first. According to OneTwoTrip, Turkish hotels accounted for 21% of all overseas bookings in September 2026, compared with 9.9% a year earlier. China followed with 6.4%, Italy with 6.3%, Belarus with 4.5% and Greece with 4.2%. Trips were shorter, however: Russians booked overseas hotels for an average of four days, compared with 5.6 days in September 2025, while the average nightly rate was 15,080 rubles.
Official statistics show the same trend. According to Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, cited by ATOR, about 5.69 million Russians visited the country from January through September, up 3.1% from a year earlier. More than half of them vacationed at resorts in Antalya.
| Destination | Russians, January–September 2026 | Share of tourist arrivals from Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Antalya | 3.25 million | 57.1% |
| Istanbul | 1.67 million | 29.5% |
| Muğla (Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye) | 374,200 (+4.4%) | 6.6% |
| Other entry points | less than 400,000 | about 7% |
| Total for Türkiye | about 5.69 million (+3.1%) | 100% |
Source: Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, ATOR data.
The season is not yet over in Antalya
The autumn shoulder season continues on Türkiye's coast even at the end of October. On October 23, the air temperature in Alanya, one of the most popular resorts among Russians, reached 24 degrees and the water temperature reached 25 degrees, drawing tourists to Cleopatra Beach. According to Antalya province airports, the region received 15,067,000 foreign tourists from January 1 to October 27, more than five times its population.
Hakan Saatçıoğlu, chairman of the Association of Professional Hotel Managers (POYD), told Anadolu Agency that September, October and the first half of November traditionally bring high occupancy: prices fall during this period while the sea remains warm. He said bookings were continuing to come in.
Service rankings reflect the behavior of their customers rather than the entire tourist flow, which is why the figures differ. However, Türkiye ranks first in most studies published this autumn.
Stay Updated with RuskiGazeta
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
