Selling the Soviet Dream: Tourism Behind the Iron Curtain

 

Tourism wasn’t just about leisure in the Soviet Union—it was a tool for shaping both national identity and international perception. The state understood that by controlling travel experiences, it could influence how citizens and foreigners saw the USSR.

Intourist, the country’s sole tourism agency, had a monopoly on the industry. More than just booking trips, it was a propaganda arm, crafting a vision of Soviet progress and unity.

 

Tourism as a Nation-Building Tool

The government used tourism to mold the ideal Soviet citizen, strengthening socialist values and unifying the vast and diverse USSR. Grand aristocratic mansions were repurposed into sanatoriums, particularly in seaside areas. Churches and cathedrals were transformed into concert halls. Sacred buildings like churches and cathedrals found new life as secular spaces like concert halls.

The centerpiece of this effort was an unprecedented policy: under Joseph Stalin, every Soviet citizen was guaranteed a paid two-week annual vacation. This led to the rise of the state-sponsored sanatorium holiday.

Armed with putevki (vouchers), workers travelled across the USSR to rest and rejuvenate at state-run resorts. From Georgia’s mineral waters to the  oil baths of Azerbaijan, these institutions blended medical treatment with relaxation. Unlike the indulgent leisure of the West, Soviet vacations were designed to refresh workers for greater productivity.

 

Laying the Foundations for a New Industry

In the early Soviet years, foreign currency was scarce, making it nearly impossible to import the heavy machinery that was needed for rapid industrialisation. The government saw tourism as a solution—a way to bring in hard currency while showcasing the Soviet Union as a modern utopia. 

But there was a problem: the country had little infrastructure to support international visitors. To change that, the state rapidly built hotels, renovated existing ones (often adding private bathrooms), and expanded transportation networks. 

In 1932, 100 new dining cars were added to the Trans-Siberian Express, allowing for specialty tours like the Turkestan-Siberian Railroad journey, which brought visitors to remote regions like Samarkand. Those on the 1931 tour had to live on the train for forty days because there were “no hotel accommodations in many of the places visited”. 

Air travel expanded rapidly, with the total length of air routes increasing from 148,000 kilometers in 1930 to 665,000 kilometers by 1933. Waterways weren’t left behind. Hundreds of motorboats were acquired to transport tourists along Russia’s scenic rivers. To attract international travelers, the USSR struck a deal with Thomas Cook in 1928, granting access to its vast network. 

The partnership was so successful that Russia became the only place where Thomas Cook expanded during the Great Depression. Cruise lines soon followed, with major transatlantic companies like Canadian Pacific Steamship Line and Holland-America Line signing agreements to bring tourists to Soviet shores in 1928.

 

Selling Utopia: The launch of Intourist

With the groundwork laid, the Soviet Union launched Intourist in 1929—the USSR’s first and only tourism agency. The name, derived from “foreign tourist” in Russian, reflected its core mission: selling the Soviet experience abroad. 

Intourist wasn’t just about logistics; it was a propaganda machine. Posters, brochures, and advertisements crafted an image of the USSR as a “Land of Colour and Progress,” where diverse citizens worked in harmony toward a bright future.

Unlike domestic propaganda, which urged Soviet citizens to work harder, Intourist’s materials aimed to entice foreign visitors. Designers were allowed to study Western aesthetics, leading to sleek Art Deco posters that made the Soviet Union seem glamorous and mysterious. These advertisements were never seen by most Soviet citizens—they were displayed exclusively in overseas Intourist offices and published in glamorous magazines.

Intourist emphasized the USSR’s multi-ethnic identity. Travel posters highlighted the distinct cultures of the 15 Soviet republics, portraying the country as a beacon of unity and progress. Brochures boasted of equal rights among nationalities, a stark contrast to the oppressive rule of the Tsars. Every foreign tourist was assigned a Soviet guide fluent in their language to ensure the State message hit home.

In 1933, U.S. diplomatic recognition of the USSR opened the floodgates for American tourism. Despite the Great Depression, the first Soviet tourist season in 1930 aimed to attract 15,000 visitors, including 5,000 Americans. The impact was immediate: American tourist spending in the USSR surged from $2 million in 1929 to $10 million in 1931, even as global tourism declined.

By the late 1930s, Intourist had opened 30 offices worldwide, from New York to Berlin. The agency was so successful that it threatened other foreign tourism bureaus competing for American travellers. Before WWII, more than a million foreign tourists visited the USSR through Intourist.

Behind the Iron Curtain: Tourism and the Cold War

The Second World War and Stalin’s purges halted Soviet tourism, plunging the country into isolation. By the 1940s and 50s, foreign visitors had dwindled to a trickle. But after Stalin’s death in 1953, restrictions eased. The ban on Soviet citizens marrying foreigners was lifted, and Intourist resumed operations in 1955.

Even at the height of the Cold War, Intourist remained active, albeit under strict regulations. Visits were subject “prior coordination,” and large swaths of the country were off-limits to tourists. The goal was to ensure visitors saw only the officially sanctioned version of Soviet life. 

Despite these restrictions, cultural exchanges flourished. High-profile visitors—including musicians, writers, and political figures—were carefully managed to ensure their experiences aligned with the USSR’s desired image. Tourists glimpsed a life of luxury beyond the reach of most Soviet citizens, staying in decadent hotels, eating caviar, and travelling in ornate carriages on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Intourist even leveraged the Space Race to boost tourism. Posters featuring Soviet cosmonauts invited foreigners to visit the home of Yuri Gagarin, the world’s first man in space. These bright, bold and elegant, Intourist travel posters presented the joys of travelling in the USSR - the first socialist country in the world

Beyond tourism, Intourist played a role in diplomacy. The agency helped organise US President Richard Nixon’s visit to the Russia in 1974, a key moment in Cold War détente. For the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Intourist facilitated an agreement with VISA, allowing foreign tourists to use their credit cards in Russia for the first time. By the 1980s,  4 million foreign tourists came to the USSR each year, all booking their trips through Intourist.