Russia starts promoting tourist products on key markets - Economic Development Ministry

MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - The Persian Gulf, China, India and Southeast Asia will be key markets for inbound tourism in Russia in the coming years, Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Dmitry Vakhrukov said, adding that the promotion of Russian tourist products had begun there.

"The way key inbound tourism markets have transformed in recent years is not our fault, so to speak. Today these are Persian Gulf countries, China, and India. We are stepping up interaction with Southeast Asian countries. We have launched a program to promote tourism products in foreign markets this year," Vakhrukov said at the inbound tourism session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"We have combined events and the resources of Russian regions, have drawn large sponsors and experts, have been organizing training programs, and have integrated regions which have not worked with foreign audiences before into the promotion program. This is crucial, considering that we used to have two or three popular destinations - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and the Far East. The geography is much broader now. Our brand, Discover Russia, is represented at key international exhibitions," Vakhrukov said.

The number of foreign tourists who visited Russia last year grew 20% to four million, he said.

"These people have not just crossed the border but have also stayed at our hotels. The goal is to increase the number four-fold to 16 million people by 2030. We plan to see over five million tourist arrivals for staying at our hotels this year owning to support measures," Vakhrukov said.