Some 5m Russian tourists visit Belarus every year

Russians eagerly visit local sanatoriums and health resorts. According to 2025 data, guests from Russia accounted for 93% of the total number of foreigners staying at sanatoriums and resorts in the republic. That is about 230,000 people, or 13% up from the year before. An even greater increase was recorded in the hotel sector. Four times as many tourists from Russia used its services than a year before – 1.2 million people.

The number of annual trips by Belarusian citizens to Russia, including for tourism purposes, grows at similarly high rates and exceeded 1 million people a long time ago.

More than 150 regular flights are performed from various regions of Russia to Minsk and oblast capitals every week. As for rail connections, 25 pairs of trains run between the countries, carrying more than 3 million passengers per year, while the passenger flow of daily high-speed Lastochka [Swallow] electric trains is now close to 800,000 people.

Direct non-stop suburban rail connections between the border regions of the two countries have been resumed. As of 3 April 2026 modern diesel and electric trains link Smolensk with Orsha and Vitebsk with a frequency of up to 3 trips per day. These routes alone are expected to see over 110,000 additional passengers over the next three years. Other routes are planned to be launched next: Velikiye Luki – Polotsk, Velikiye Luki – Vitebsk as well as Bryansk – Gomel.

Another initiative aimed at attracting Russians to Minsk will be the opening of a specialized tourism information center of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The tourism information center will be located in the historical center of Smolensk and will become a starting point for getting acquainted with the main attractions of Russia and Belarus. In turn, a Smolensk tourism kiosk is already operating at the Minsk central station.