Russia and the CIS countries have long been among the most important source markets for Turkish tourism. However, Türkiye is entering a new period in which its strong position in these markets can no longer be maintained simply through established travel habits.
Measures that have been highlighted repeatedly now need to be implemented without further delay.
The difficulties experienced during the 2025 season were initially attributed to the late start of the summer season. In 2026, global economic and political crises have been cited as factors affecting bookings.
These factors have certainly had an impact. However, it would not be accurate to attribute the entire problem to external conditions. The impact of delayed or insufficient measures, competitors’ earlier promotional campaigns, and the deterioration in the price-competitiveness balance on Türkiye’s performance in the Russian and CIS markets must also be acknowledged.
Türkiye remains the leading overseas holiday destination for Russian tourists. In July 2026 package tour sales, Türkiye ranked first in the Russian market with a 37.7% share, followed by Egypt at 21.3%. The figures demonstrate both Türkiye’s strength and the scale of the competition.
Losses of 3-5% should not be underestimated. Tourism market share is not generally lost in a single season; it can be lost over several years as travelers’ habits change.
Vietnam emerges as a major new competitor
One of the most notable destinations competing with Türkiye in the Russian and CIS markets recently has been Vietnam. One of Vietnam’s key advantages is its range of destinations, including Nha Trang-Cam Ranh (CXR), Phu Quoc (PQC) and Da Nang, allowing its tourism product to be spread across almost 12 months.
This growth is no longer merely an expectation. The number of Russian visitors to Vietnam increased by 295% year-on-year in the first three months of 2026, exceeding 367,000.
For the 2026 summer season, a major charter program has been planned for Da Nang, with approximately 68,000 tourists expected to travel from Russia, the CIS countries and Belarus. The program covers flights from numerous cities in Russia and the region.
Phu Quoc is also seeing programs involving up to 75-80 charter flights per month from Russia and the CIS.
These developments are important signals for Türkiye. More importantly, investments, hotel agreements and flight programs in Vietnam by tour operators with Turkish origins and extensive knowledge of the Russian market are rapidly increasing awareness of these destinations.
Vietnam has significant competitive advantages, including affordable accommodation and living costs, visa facilitation, an expanding direct flight network and a service sector increasingly adapted to Russian tourists.
Thailand, meanwhile, continues to maintain its already strong position in the market.
Egypt cannot be overlooked
As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Gulf region ease, Egypt’s established winter destinations, particularly Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, are likely to remain strong alternatives.
Egypt’s advantages extend beyond sun-and-sea tourism. The Red Sea’s underwater attractions, diving tourism, historical and archaeological assets, Cairo and Luxor tours, and Nile cruise programs allow travelers to combine multiple tourism products within a single trip.
The development of the Alamein region also deserves close attention. With new hotel investments, beaches and proximity to Alexandria, Alamein is becoming an alternative to Türkiye during the summer season. Egypt is therefore no longer only a winter competitor to Türkiye. It could become a stronger competitor during the summer months in the coming years as well.
Post-Ukraine war competition could intensify
Another risk that has not received sufficient attention is the new market environment that could emerge after the war in Ukraine.
If the war ends and aviation and economic sanctions imposed on Russia are gradually eased, access for Russian tourists to Europe could become easier again. In such an environment, Spain, Greece, Montenegro and other Mediterranean destinations are likely to seek to regain significant market share from Russia.
For this reason, Türkiye’s current market share in Russia should not be considered permanent. Likewise, if political and aviation conditions normalize, long-haul destinations such as Cuba and Venezuela could once again become strong alternatives.
Unspoiled beaches, different cultures, affordable local living costs and the perception of exotic destinations are important factors for Russian travelers.
What should Türkiye do?
Simply focusing on Antalya’s bed capacity or the strength of the all-inclusive model is no longer sufficient. Türkiye’s greatest advantage is its diversity of tourism products, which many competitors do not possess to the same extent. This product diversity needs to be communicated to the Russian and CIS markets more effectively.
A tourist visiting Antalya does not have to remain at the hotel. Antalya-based tours to Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale and destinations across Anatolia should be developed.
For Russian tourists visiting Istanbul, combinations such as Istanbul + Cappadocia, Istanbul + Southeastern Anatolia, Istanbul + thermal tourism and Istanbul + Aegean destinations could be developed.
Destinations such as Gaziantep, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır and Cappadocia also need much stronger promotion in Russia and the CIS markets.
Direct charter and scheduled flights to tourism regions outside Antalya should also be supported wherever possible. Türkiye needs to move beyond the perception of being simply a “one-week all-inclusive holiday in Antalya” destination for Russian tourists and position itself as a country that can be visited throughout the year.
Türkiye needs to win back its 3- and 4-star customers
One of the issues that requires particular attention is the need to win back customers who have been lost from the 3- and 4-star hotel segment.
Türkiye has lost part of its middle- and lower-income customer base in the Russian market in recent years. The perception that Türkiye has become an expensive destination is becoming increasingly widespread.
Yet Türkiye’s past success in the Russian market was not based solely on luxury hotels. The country offered a broad product range, from 3- and 4-star properties to affordable family hotels.
Rather than abandoning the all-inclusive concept altogether, hotels should improve it. Increasing the number of quality à la carte restaurants, integrating gastronomy into the tourism product and offering guests different experiences within hotels are particularly important.
At the same time, 3- and 4-star hotels should once again become a strong component of the package tour system. When middle-income Russian travelers consider Türkiye too expensive, they have two options: choose a cheaper overseas destination or turn to domestic tourism. These customers can be brought back to Türkiye.
Marketing calendars need to change
One of the most important recommendations is to revise the marketing calendar. In major markets such as Russia and the CIS, simply intensifying promotional activities a few months before the season begins is no longer sufficient.
Promotion for the following season should begin before the current season has ended. Tour operators, airlines, hotels, the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) and industry organizations should sit at the same table and determine the following year’s flight capacity, pricing policy and marketing campaigns as early as possible.
City-specific promotional and flight strategies should be developed, particularly for major Russian regional cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus and other CIS markets.
Digital marketing should also move beyond generic country promotion toward product-based campaigns.
Family holidays in Antalya, city breaks in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Southeastern Anatolia and Mesopotamia, gastronomy, thermal and wellness tourism, golf, sports camps, shopping and health tourism are among the products Türkiye can offer.
The challenge is to bring these products to the market at the right time, at the right price and with the right flight capacity.
The price-flight-hotel triangle must be managed together
Another key issue for the Russian and CIS markets will be the coordinated management of the price, flight and hotel equation.
A destination cannot compete solely through inexpensive hotels. If flights are expensive, package prices will also be high. If transfers, services and spending at the destination are expensive, the traveler’s total holiday cost increases.
For this reason, destination- and season-based incentives for airlines, airport costs, support for charter operations and hotels’ early-booking pricing policies should all be considered as components of the same strategy.
Supporting flights at the beginning and end of the season could directly contribute to extending the Antalya tourism season.
The market is still ours, but it is not guaranteed
Türkiye remains the strongest overseas holiday destination for Russian tourists, which represents a major advantage. However, Vietnam’s rise demonstrates one important fact: tourist habits can change.
A Russian family visiting Vietnam for the first time may choose Vietnam again the following year if they are satisfied with the experience. The same applies to Egypt, Thailand and, in the future, European destinations.
The real danger in tourism is not losing a few hundred thousand tourists in a single year. It is losing those tourists’ holiday habits to another country.
Türkiye has built substantial brand value, an extensive flight network, a strong tour operator infrastructure and customer loyalty in the Russian and CIS markets over more than 30 years. Protecting these assets requires anticipating market developments rather than taking action only after a crisis emerges.
The key elements of the new period will be more reasonable pricing, a broader product range, strong air connectivity, the recovery of the economic segment and, above all, early, continuous and targeted promotion.
Türkiye remains very strong in the Russian and CIS markets, but it is no longer alone. Competitors are monitoring Türkiye, adopting models they have learned from it and seeking to capture market share in an increasingly organized manner.
Protecting the current market share should therefore no longer be considered sufficient; the objective should be to return to growth.
