Makhachkala tops the list of Russia's most popular destinations for New Year's holidays, with hotel bookings up 18 percent compared to the same period last year. This data was provided by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and Ostrovok online booking service.

Furthermore, Pyatigorsk, Krasnodar, Vladikavkaz and Gelendzhik are expected to see growth of 15, 11, and 5 percent respectively. Georgy Grusha, Director of the Department for Tourism Projects at the Ministry of Economic Development noted that the New Year is traditionally a time for family traveling.