Sochi tourism plummets as war, sanctions, and inflation take toll

Sochi's high season has started poorly, with domestic demand down 30% year-on-year due to Ukrainian drone attacks and airport shutdowns. Tourists ignore repeated air-raid sirens. Inflation and economic stagnation further deter visitors. A standard sea-view room at Swissôtel Resort costs RUB22,300 (€260). Pre-war, Sochi attracted up to 8 million visitors annually; this year only about 2.5 million have come, with wealthier Russians opting for non-EU Balkan states and China. Rival Black Sea destinations Anapa and Tuapse are also hit. The bridge to Crimea has been struck twice by Ukrainian drones, causing fuel shortages. Despite the war, new cafés and restaurants open, and a museum with a 500 sq m diorama of human history has opened on Chernomorskaya Street. Foreign films are still screened via pirated copies or direct rights purchases. In the mountains, Krasnaya Polyana resorts see a quiet season; a massage therapist notes planes are cancelled and some are afraid. Convicted murderers pardoned by Putin after fighting in Ukraine holiday there. Telegram remains widely used via VPNs. Putin has not been seen in Sochi since 2024, spending downtime in a bunker.