As the Russian tourism boom heats up, the demand for these products increases

Analysis data from Wildberries (hereinafter referred to as "WB"), Russia's largest e-commerce platform , shows that from January to February this year, the sales of travel maps and travel guides on the platform increased by nearly 4 times and 3.6 times year-on-year.

WB 's news center noted: "With the arrival of holidays and the opening of many popular tourist destinations at the beginning of this year, Russian residents are actively planning their trips and buying various travel guides and tourist maps in order to explore new places they have never visited."

In the past, Russians preferred to travel abroad. In early 2020, Russians were more inclined to travel across the border to Europe, and they usually bought brochures for tourist destinations such as Rome, London, Budapest, Prague and Paris.

However, due to the epidemic restrictions, Russians give priority to traveling within Russia. WB said that St. Petersburg, the Republic of Karelia, and the Golden Circle of Russia have become the first choice for Russians to travel within the country this year , and the demand for travel guides to these places has increased most significantly. WB data shows that the sales of travel guides to St. Petersburg increased by 158% year-on-year.

On the other hand, some people still consider traveling abroad in the near future. In March this year, after Georgia opened to tourists, the sales of travel guides about the country on the WB platform increased by 75% compared with the beginning of February. The sales of travel guides about Turkey increased by 35%. After the resumption of air links between Russia and Armenia, travel guides to Yerevan (the capital of Armenia) and other cities began to appear in Russian orders.

Although domestic travel in Russia and tourism in neighboring countries are now in the limelight, many Russians remain optimistic and are very interested in countries that have not yet announced their willingness to accept large numbers of tourists. WB said that among the best-selling travel guides on the platform from January to February this year, there were some about Portugal, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Russia's tourism boom should accelerate in the near future. In addition to tourist maps and guides, sellers can also pay attention to the market demand for other small items during travel, such as disposable underwear, panties, socks, skin care product bottles, shoes suitable for walking, power banks, backpacks, suitcases, etc.

Russia