Travel service Travel.ru has defined what tourism destinations in the CIS countries are the most promising in 2016.

The rating is based on the data of growth of bookings of hotels and apartments over the past year by tourists travelling on their own.

Travel.ru reports that accommodation on the trip in the CIS countries costs on average 3,000 rubles a day. CIS countries are attractive for Russian tourists with low prices on rest, developed infrastructure, visa-free entry and the fact that many locals speak Russian.

Azerbaijan is leading in the CIS countries’ rating on the rising popularity of tourism and recreation among Russians.

Top 5 of CIS states on the rising popularity of tourism among Russians includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus.

In Azerbaijan, which in 2015 received more than 2 million tourists (of whom 685,000 ones from Russia), the most popular are capital Baku, ski resort Shahdag, Ganja, Shemakha, Gabala and Naftalan, as well as the Goygol Lake and beach resorts on the Caspian sea - Khudat, Khachmaz, Astara, Siyazan and Lankaran.
Out of the events of 2016 in Baku it’s worth noting the Grand Prix of Europe Formula 1 to be held from 17 to 19 June.

A representative office for tourism of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation opened in Moscow in February 2016.