Experts assessed the profitability of renting housing during the holidays

With the onset of cold weather, some Russians traditionally try to wait out the winter in warm countries, combining rest with work. However, this year the trend is on the decline. According to a study by the OneTwoTrip travel planning service, which was reviewed by Izvestia on November 29, the number of air bookings with a stay at their destination of two weeks or more from Moscow abroad for the period from December this year to February 2026 decreased by 45% compared to last winter.

"Most Russians are going to spend the cold season in Thailand: it accounts for about 30% of the total number of long-term air bookings. Vietnam is on the second line (16.1%), Indonesia closes the top three (7.5%)," said Elena Shelekhova, head of the OneTwoTrip press service.

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Accommodation in some countries remains relatively affordable: you can stay in Bangkok or Bali for 3.5 thousand rubles per night. A day in a three-star hotel in Phuket or Fukuoka will cost 3 thousand rubles. Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City are the cheapest — about 1 thousand rubles per day. In theory, you can offset at least some of these costs by renting an apartment in Russia. But in practice, this strategy does not take into account several important aspects.

"The purchase of a studio apartment for subsequent rental pays off in an average of 15 years. Even with adjustments for various factors, this type of investment is difficult to call highly profitable. It is unlikely to cover all the costs of a comfortable winter stay abroad," said Peter Barsukov, a business consultant and partner at Developika.

Long—term rent of a studio apartment in a good area of a large city can bring about 85 thousand rubles per month, daily rent - up to 140 thousand with a high load. But after deducting the costs of cleaning, repairs and downtime, the net profit turns out to be noticeably more modest, the expert notes.

Also, some "winterers" are deterred by the need for official registration of rental documents. However, this is an important step that will protect you from unscrupulous tenants. The approach to the use of housing should be as conscious and thoughtful as possible, says Anton Viner, co-owner and co-founder of the Rodina Group.

Earlier, on October 9, it was reported that Russians began actively buying tours for the New Year holidays. According to the Tourvisor aggregator, the average cost of a tour for the last days of December and the beginning of January is 275 thousand rubles for nine nights for two. This is almost 1.5 times more expensive than the average annual cost of tours, which is 182 thousand rubles.

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