Russia's tourism hits pandemic-era low as Kremlin hides real causes

Tourist visits to Russia fell by nearly 20% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier, hitting the lowest level since the peak of the pandemic, according to Kommersant. The Kremlin-aligned newspaper blames the Middle East war and "unstable airport operations" for the decline. Russia is accused of manipulating tourism statistics by counting labour migrants as tourists.