RATA-news English Digest 16-20.05.2011

Sergey Shpilko – man of the year in Russian tourism

During the opening ceremony of Moscow MITF-2011 trade fair the Chairman of the city’s Tourism Committee Sergey Shpilko has been rewarded with the ANTOR’s (Association of National Tourist Offices in Russia) “Man of the year in Russian tourism” award. This nomination was introduced for the first time this year and devoted to Barnabash Lakatosh.

The award for the best regional tourism agency went to Irkutsk region.

The Director for Moscow rep office of Slovakian tourism authority Ms. Lubica Aloushitsova received the award for “Active work, successful destination promotion, significant personal contribution to establishing of Russian-Slovakian bilateral ties and tourism development in Russia”.

The award for “Active work, successful destination promotion, significant personal contribution to establishing of Hungarian-Russian bilateral ties and tourism development in Russia” this year went to Tourism Advisor of the Hungarian Embassy in Russia Andrea Segedi.

The ANTOR award was established in 2005 in memory of Barnabash Lakatosh, who played major role in initiating the event. Mr. Lakatosh once opened and had been in charge of Hungary-Tourism representative office in Russia.

Bulgaria reckons upon increasing the tourist flow from Russia

The upcoming summer is going to be really hot for Bulgaria. And not only in terms of air and water temperature on the Black Sea coast. As was said by the country’s embassy trade mission in Russia Mr. Ilian Tsonev during the press-conference at the MITF-2100 trade fair, this year his country expects over 10% year-on-year increase of the tourist flow from Russia.

The chief of the Bulgarian consular service Mr. Angel Georgiev revealed that this year they issued 63% more entry visas (the most noticeable growth was recorded in February) compared to the same period last year. Herewith the number of individual trips has grown by 100% and the number of group trips has added 50%. According to Mr. Georgiev’s forecast this summer will be the busiest for the consulate since the introducing of the visa-regime between the two countries. Before the end of the year Bulgaria intends to issue over 300 thousand visas in Russia. Last year according to Rosstat’s data the Balkan country welcomed more than 263 thousand Russian tourists.

Tuva is working on tourism strategy

Tuva’s travel industry development priorities are ecological, cultural, event and sport tourism. Its mountain areas offer perfect opportunities for trekking, rafting and mountain-climbing. One may come across alpine meadows, snow-white yurts, crystal-blue lakes, garrulous streams, primeval taiga to name a few.

Almost every corner of Tuva has its own arjaans – the healing mineral springs. Tuvinians are one the few Russian tribes who have been able to preserve their indigenous culture, language and folk holidays. Archeological sites of the region are very interesting as well. Tuva is a cradle of ancient nomadic cultures such as Scythian, Turkic and Hun-Sarmatian. The region has been included in the UNESCO’s list of the environmentally safest places on the planet, along with Amazon rain-forests. All this is a magnet for foreign tourists. “About 60% of foreign visitors have no connection to business travel – revealed the Head of the republic’s tourism department Mr. Alexander Li – mostly they come from USA and Europe. Tourists from China and Japan express their interest. They are attracted by Buddhism, Shamanism and the fact that Tuva lies at the very center of Asia”. And indeed the “Center of Asia” obelisk stands in Kyzyl on the bank of Yenisey River.

Mr. Li said that the Economy Ministry’s Tourism Department has been established merely four months ago. Today its staff is working on the region’s tourism development strategy up to 2018. So far the republic doesn’t have large-scale tourism projects that could entitle it to be the part to federal tourism development program. Tuva lies very far from major tourist flows. The nearest large international airport is in Abakan – 450 km away from the capital city of Kyzyl. “Nevertheless we are going to feature our republican program in other economic projects on federal level” – added Mr. Li. 

Our short-range plans include creation of the “Aldyn Bulat” Ethno-cultural Complex on a scenic spot some 45 km outside Kyzyl, where one will be able to get to know Tuvinian culture. The 40 million roubles project will be funded by the local budget. Alexander Li also revealed that the plot of land in Krasnoyarsk region’s “Yergaki” National Park has been allocated for constructing of the Tuva-style hotel complex that is scheduled to open in 2012. The Republic’s treasury is to spend another 50 million roubles on this project.   

“The Russian Shore” – rural living by all means

“The Russian Shore” manor in Ulyanovsk Region is a farmer’s settlement on the bank of Volzhsky Gulf in the area where a demolished monastery used to be. The farmers settled there by the archbishop’s blessing. Their life is as calm and quite as it used to be in an olden village. They breed horses, cows, pigs, sheep and poultry. Rabbits run by the pine-trees. Local milk, cottage cheese and home-made yoghurt are very welcome in the city. Exclusively for tourists the farmers built up log houses with traditional Russian ovens. Small bath houses hide themselves on the gulf shores, where one can easily jump into rushy water from a little bridge. Pies are baked every day in the former refectory.

“The Russian Shore” is a perfect place for agro-tourism that is now becoming more and nore popular in our country. This private project has been actively developing for the last three years in the environmentally safe surroundings, offering townsmen the true country-side pastime. The director of “Ulyanovsk regional resource tourism and service development center” Mr. Sergey Lakovsky who also happens to be the Head of “The Russian Shore” project believes that this venture not only contributes to travel industry development but also helps to deal with various issues of agricultural areas. There is another project that addresses such problems – “The Crafts Center” in Undorsky area. It features a handicrafts village, where one can purchase souvenirs made of local materials – unique stone simbircite, that resembles amber and dinosaur bones.

Russia is a prospective market for Lithuania

Lithuania records a significant upturn in the number of Russian tourists for the 2011 season. “We are currently experiencing a real boom in visa applications in Russia” – revealed the director of Lithuania’s Tourist Information Center Birute Nenartavichute during the presentation. As of April 2011 the Lithuanian Embassy issued 46.5 thousand visas - 20% more compared to 2009.

However Lithuania is a last country to start issuing multi-visas. Latvia and Estonia started to issue 1-year multi-visas in 2009 seeking to attract more tourists from Russia. As a result the inflow of Russians increased by 50% in 2010 alone. As for Lithuanian multi-visa it can be obtained by only businessmen or close relatives of those who live in the country. Group travelers are not entitled to a multi-visa at all. And the most positive change that awaits tour operators and tourists this summer is the opening of extra counters at the Moscow consulate office, so more people can apply. There going to be twice more of them this season.

Today Russia holds third place in the number of tourist arrivals to Lithuania, giving place to only Poland and Belorussia. And that’s why we have many opportunities to grow. Russia is the most prospective market for Lithuania so far.

Tunisia-bound charter flights to take off from 10 Russian cities this year

The Prime Minister of Tunisia Mr. Khuas Mehdi during his recent visit to Moscow met Russian tour operators to discuss mutual plans for the upcoming summer season. He also assured journalists that his country is now totally safe for tourists.

“Over 600 thousand foreign tourists visited Tunisia after the January revolution and not a single accident happened to them. We wouldn’t take such a responsibility on ourselves, if there were even a slight threat to our guests. I can assure you, that nothing poses danger to foreign tourists”. – said the Prime Minister.

As for now, Russian MFA doesn’t allow travelling to all regions of Tunisia. The only resorts open are Monastir, Sous and Hammamet. The Head of Tunisian rep office in Moscow Mr. Abderrazak Azzouzi revealed that Tunisian authorities tried to achieve agreement with Russian officials on opening all resorts and Djerba in particular, as it had been already included into the tour operators’ summer programs. He also reminded about several press-trips organized by the Tourism Ministry of Tunisia where journalists could see with their own eyes that the country is safe and very peaceful” – said Mr. Azzouzi.

According to Mr. Mehdi the recent NATO’s air operation in nearby Libya did not affect Tunisian tourist infrastructure considering that it gave shelter to over 320 thousands refugees from Libya and many other countries. “Some of them have already gone back home, but 15-20 thousand still remain in special camps. Of course the aftershocks of the conflict can still be felt near the border, but anyway it is quite far from the resorts, a several hour drive. If we had a tiniest doubt about tourists’ safety, we would have forbidden them from entering the country ourselves.” – claims the Minister.  

For the first three months the country has lost about 40% of the tourist inflow. For instance from January to March 2010 as many as 3 thousand Russians visited Tunisia, for the same period this year this figure stands at just 1 thousand. Mr. Azzouzi also reminded that the ban for flights was lifted only on April 21^st, however some tourists had been reaching Tunisia by Alitalia or Air France connecting flights. This summer season Transaero and Nouvel Air will be operating two flights a week each. Their first flights had quite low capacity rate, but now it finally got higher. Three flights a week will be taking off from Saint Petersburg. On May 20^th Pegas Turistik for the first time launched charter programs from ten Russian cities – Kazan’, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Samara and others.

Last year Tunisia welcomed 188 thousand Russian tourists, which is 48% more compared to 2009. According to Mr. Azzouzi, Pegas Turistik intends to increase this number in 2011.

During his visit to Moscow Tunisian Minister of Tourism had a meeting with the Chairman of Moscow Tourism Committee and the President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Mr. Sergey Shpilko. The Vice President of RUTI Yuri Barzykin and the Press Secretary of RUTI Irina Tiurina also attended the meeting. The agenda included Tunisia opportunities for promotion on the Russian market and for establishing mutual tourist exchange.

Russians have tasted lakes of Switzerland

Those Russian tourists who usually come to the Swiss ski resorts are now considering a vacation on an Alpine lake as an alternative to banal beach leisure. “After the recession two years ago we now see the increase of summer tourist flow” – says the Head of Almanac Tour Company Ms. Maria Kachinskaya. She estimates the growth of the demand on summer tours to Switzerland at around 10% year-on-year. The tourists take interest in such resorts as Lugano, Askona, Luzern and Interlaken. Geneva Lake and Leikerbad’s thermal springs are of great interest as well. The Russians also go for dynamic activities such as mountain trekking, horse riding and water skiing. There is a noticeable demand on weight-loss, recreational and relaxation programs.

The cost of an itinerary has increased by 10-15% owing to higher hotel and airfare prices. But the Russians’ preferences haven’t changed a bit. They still book 4-5-star hotels. However lately along with luxury hotels the Russians have been staying in holiday apartments. It is the most convenient option to accommodate an entire family with kids, grandparents, nannies etc. Mostly they come for 1-2 weeks, although some stay for up to 2 months.

In 2008 when Switzerland has entered the Schengen Agreement new possibilities opened for Russian tourists. “We used to sell mostly 7 to 10-day itineraries, but today more and more customers want to stay in Switzerland for a couple of days or a weekend, because many of them have Schengen multi-visas issued in other EU countries” – notes Ms. Kachinskaya.

Moscow is warming up for summer season

The Chairman of Moscow Tourism Committee Mr. Sergey Shpilko in his speech about the upcoming tourist season noted that twelve new hotels with 3250 beds were opened in Moscow since last autumn. Among them are the 5-star Lotte Plaza with 600 beds and several mini-hotels in different areas of Moscow. “One of the most important openings is that of the 3-star Aminiyevskaya Hotel with its 233 rooms. This is the first hotel built on the basis of a large dormitory” – said Mr. Shpilko.

He also pointed out that last year Moscow hotels welcomed 4 million tourists, this year the number should reach 4.2 million. “We are currently carrying out the valuation of the city’s accommodation facilities. Quite a number of hostels and mini-hotels remain beyond the statistics” – said Mr. Shpilko, adding that out of 280 million roubles allocated for the Tourism Committee this year, up to 65% will be spent on promotional activities in mass media and the internet. “Changing Russia’s image stuck in the heads of foreign tourists will require significant efforts and funding” – stated the Head of the Committee.

The Moscow Government is now renovating street information system for tourists in Moscow. In the major tourist areas they intend to put up over a hundred city maps in Roman type. Besides, the Tourism Committee is likely to launch the call-center for visitors and hopes to resolve the tourist buses parking issue by June.

Russia is a prospective market for Lithuania

Lithuania records a significant upturn in the number of Russian tourists for the 2011 season. “We are currently experiencing a real boom in visa applications in Russia” – revealed the director of Lithuania’s Tourist Information Center Birute Nenartavichute during the presentation. As of April 2011 the Lithuanian Embassy issued 46.5 thousand visas - 20% more compared to 2009.

However Lithuania is a last country to start issuing multi-visas. Latvia and Estonia started to issue 1-year multi-visas in 2009 seeking to attract more tourists from Russia. As a result the inflow of Russians increased by 50% in 2010 alone. As for Lithuanian multi-visa it can be obtained by only businessmen or close relatives of those who live in the country. Group travelers are not entitled to a multi-visa at all. And the most positive change that awaits tour operators and tourists this summer is the opening of extra counters at the Moscow consulate office, so more people can apply. There going to be twice more of them this season.

Today Russia holds third place in the number of tourist arrivals to Lithuania, giving place to only Poland and Belorussia. And that’s why we have many opportunities to grow. Russia is the most prospective market for Lithuania so far.   

Russians have tasted lakes of Switzerland

Those Russian tourists who usually come to the Swiss ski resorts are now considering a vacation on an Alpine lake as an alternative to banal beach leisure. “After the recession two years ago we now see the increase of summer tourist flow” – says the Head of Almanac Tour Company Ms. Maria Kachinskaya. She estimates the growth of the demand on summer tours to Switzerland at around 10% year-on-year. The tourists take interest in such resorts as Lugano, Askona, Luzern and Interlaken. Geneva Lake and Leikerbad’s thermal springs are of great interest as well. The Russians also go for dynamic activities such as mountain trekking, horse riding and water skiing. There is a noticeable demand on weight-loss, recreational and relaxation programs.

The cost of an itinerary has increased by 10-15% owing to higher hotel and airfare prices. But the Russians’ preferences haven’t changed a bit. They still book 4-5-star hotels. However lately along with luxury hotels the Russians have been staying in holiday apartments. It is the most convenient option to accommodate an entire family with kids, grandparents, nannies etc. Mostly they come for 1-2 weeks, although some stay for up to 2 months.

In 2008 when Switzerland has entered the Schengen Agreement new possibilities opened for Russian tourists. “We used to sell mostly 7 to 10-day itineraries, but today more and more customers want to stay in Switzerland for a couple of days or a weekend, because many of them have Schengen multi-visas issued in other EU countries” – notes Ms. Kachinskaya.

Spanish General Consulate in Moscow issued over 45 thousand visas in April

The number of visas issued by the General Consulate of Spain in Moscow in April 2011 exceeded 45.5 thousand, which is 64% more than in the same period of 2010. The total number of entry visas issued from January to April amounts to 104.9 thousand and is 53.3% more compared to the first four months of the previous year.

In 2010 Spanish General Consulate in Moscow issued the total of 442 thousand visas, which is 59.3% more compared to 2009. The tourist flow from Russia to Spain in 2010 was 605 thousand people, for the first two months of 2011 it added 24% compared to January-February 2010.

Catalonia and Canaries remain the most popular destinations with Russian tourists. This year Spanish authorities set a goal to welcome up to a million visitors from Russia.

Spanish consulate to increase its staff in Moscow

In 2010 605 thousand Russian travelers managed to visit Spain. During first four months of 2011 the number of visas issued by the General Consulate increased by 53.2%. In this connection Spanish MFA ordered to increase the staff of Moscow consulate for the summer season. Spanish Consulate might hire another 16 members of staff. Such an important and significant step emerged from Spanish interest in Russian market.  

Direct flight to Carinthia resumes

Austrian National Tourism Office reports resuming of direct flights from Moscow to Klagenfurt – the land’s capital city. The charter program that is scheduled to operate from June 9^th till August 28^th is managed by Ascent Travel and Jet Travel companies in association with Ak Bars Air Company. The latter provides a Bombardier aircraft to service the destination once a week. Leather cabin, business class, high-quality service will cater to needs of air passengers.

Carinthia is beloved by families with children, youth and seniors. However until now they had to change flights in Vienna in order to reach this land of lakes, which wasn’t very convenient. Now one can easily get to the most popular Carinthian resorts from Klagenfurt in just 20 minutes.

Russia places 20th in Abu Dhabi

The number of tourists that came to Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2011 increased by 10% compared to the same period last year and reached over 510 thousand people.

Most of the emirate’s guests are from UAE. Second place went to Great Briatin, third – to India and fourth – to USA. Russia occupies 20^th place of this list. In March the number of Russians in Abu Dhabi’s hotels added 26% compared to March 2010 figures. It is good dynamics since an average market rate amounts to 9%.

An average stay in the emirate is 3.06 nights, which is 13% more than in the first quarter of the previous year.