Russians choose the east: Beeline showed how foreign trips have changed

      August 28, 2026 10:13 Society The geography of foreign trips for Russians is changing, although familiar destinations maintain their leadership. According to Beeline, the number of roamers in Vietnam nearly doubled year-on-year in the first two months of summer, while in China it grew by about a third. These conclusions were drawn by Beeline analysts who studied anonymized international roaming data for June and July 2026 and compared it with the same period last year. "The familiar map of foreign trips remains, but noticeable changes are occurring within it. People are becoming more flexible in their choice of destinations and, judging by the dynamics, are ready to revise their plans quite quickly. Decisions can be influenced by transport accessibility, travel costs, and the overall situation in a particular country. At the same time, we see significant dynamics in several eastern destinations: the number of roamers in Vietnam has almost doubled, while the figures in China and Tajikistan have increased by about a third. Therefore, the main trend this summer is not the emergence of a new absolute leader, but rather a gradual change in the familiar geography of foreign trips," comments Alexey Geidur, Beeline's product lifecycle management director. The list of the ten most popular foreign destinations in the summer of 2026 has hardly changed: it includes Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Belarus, China, Georgia, Abkhazia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia. At the same time, eight out of ten destinations showed an increase in the number of roamers year-on-year, with a decline recorded only in Kazakhstan and Abkhazia. Vietnam stands out separately, as it is not yet in the top ten but shows one of the most noticeable dynamics: the number of Beeline customers who visited the country in June and July nearly doubled year-on-year. Even higher percentages are found in less popular destinations, where the effect of a small initial base is more pronounced. For example, the number of roamers in India increased by about 88%, while in Turkmenistan it rose by 45%. However, in terms of the total number of roamers, both countries still significantly lag behind China, Vietnam, and other more popular destinations. China, already among the top five most popular foreign destinations, grew by another approximately 30%. The number of roamers in Tajikistan increased by about 30%, and in Uzbekistan by 20%. Turkey continues to be one of the most popular foreign destinations. In July, the number of Beeline roamers in the country increased by 13% compared to the same month last year. However, growth is not characteristic of all foreign destinations. One of the most noticeable declines was recorded by analysts in the UAE: the number of roamers there decreased by about 40% year-on-year in June-July. In Abkhazia, the decline was about 15%. Beeline is also taking into account the growing interest in eastern destinations in its roaming offers. Starting August 19, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan became new stops on the "Round-the-World Trip": special conditions for calls to Russia were introduced there, significantly more favorable than standard rates. At the same time, the customer retains their usual number and access to linked services, and the smartphone can connect to available partner networks. The operator regularly updates the "Round-the-World Trip" destinations based on seasonal demand. Beeline has also prepared a guide on how to use communication services abroad more profitably and control expenses during trips. Advertising by PJSC "VimpelCom". More details on the website: beeline.ru. Moscow, OGRN 1027700166636 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay informed about the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.