Specialists of the Ostrovok online hotel and apartment booking service interviewed more than 2,000 social media users and found out which countries and regions of Russia they would like to travel to during the active flowering season of local plants. As it turned out, tourists are ready to travel great distances to see the lavender fields of Crimea and cherry blossoms in Japan live.
Crimea has become an absolute favorite among Russian destinations for florenturism (flower tourism): every fourth traveler surveyed (26%) would like to go to the republic to see the blooming lavender fields. The period of active flowering falls on the holiday season and lasts from June to August, so tourists can combine a beach holiday with a visit to the plantations. Lavender fields can be found near the coastal cities of Crimea: not far from Alushta, where the average cost of booking in hotels and apartments this summer is 5,700 rubles, Gurzuf – 7,700 rubles, and Sevastopol – 4,100 rubles.
Altai follows with a small margin in the “flower” rating of destinations (21% of votes), which is famous for the beauty of the pink maralnik bloom. From the end of April to the middle of May, in different regions of the republic, you can see the mountain slopes covered with flowers of this red book plant. The average cost of a booked night in the republic during the active flowering of the maralnik this year was 6,800 rubles.
Every sixth participant in the survey (16%) expressed a desire to see wild poppies bloom in Dagestan in May. The average cost of a night in the republic’s accommodation facilities during this period amounted to 4,300 rubles.
About the same number of respondents would like to travel to Astrakhan to see the red Book lotus, which blooms with bright pink flowers on numerous rivers in the region. You can find lotus thickets right now: the flowering period lasts from mid-July to early September. The average cost of a night in hotels and apartments in Astrakhan is 3,600 rubles.
Kalmykia, where irises bloom from the end of April to the beginning of May, closes the rating of Russian destinations for flower tourism: about 10% of respondents admitted that they would like to visit the region during their flowering period. At this time, the average cost of a booked night in the republic’s accommodation facilities is 4,400 rubles.
The survey also revealed the most attractive destinations for florenturism outside of Russia. It turned out that almost one in three Russians surveyed (30%) would like to go to Japan to see the cherry blossom. According to the results of the survey, this area has become a leader along with lavender fields in the Crimea. Cherry blossoms peak in March and April. During this period, you can enjoy the beauty of flowers in Tokyo (10,600 rubles per night), Osaka (8,100 rubles) and Kyoto (12,500 rubles).
Three foreign destinations took the second place in the ranking of the most desirable destinations for flower tourism. About 18% of the survey participants said they would be happy to go to Holland to admire tulips. The flowering season lasts from March to April, at which time the average cost of a night in hotels in the country is 17,400 rubles.
The same number of respondents (18%) would like to go to Morocco to enjoy the beauty of the Damask rose plantations. In honor of this flower, a large-scale festival is held in the country in May. The cost of a night at the hotel this year cost tourists an average of 9,950 rubles.
No less than the survey participants voted for Greece, which is known for the exuberant flowering of the bougainvillea shrub. You can watch the flowering of this plant from May to early June. The average cost of a night in the country’s hotels during this period in 2024 was 10,300 rubles.
One in ten respondents noted that they would go to see the mimosa blossom in Abkhazia. The season lasts from mid-January to March, and most of the trees can be found in the vicinity of Sukhum (4,350 rubles), New Athos (4,550 rubles) and Gagra (4,500 rubles).
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