MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Olga Sobolevskaya) - The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has included Russia in its list of tourist destinations that are posting steady growth in tourist numbers.
This year, demand for tourist services in Russia has increased by 3.3%. This is just below the growth rate in Germany, a country that goes to great lengths to promote tourism. Experts are forecasting 7% growth for the Russian tourism industry by 2010.
The WTTC predicts that if current trends continue, every tenth job in Russia will be connected with tourism in some way in a decade's time. The industry has the potential to become a dynamic growth sector and boost the transport, communications and service industries. This year the tourism industry will net $87 billion and Russia will rank 14th in the world in terms of tourism revenues.
The growth of the tourism industry is being driven by personal travel rather than business travel. Personal travel is less vulnerable to economic fluctuations and so is more stable. There has been another promising development: the Russian regions have recognized the benefits of tourism and are now marketing themselves to tourists.
"Russia has a huge amount to offer tourists," President Putin said last year at a State Council Presidium meeting devoted to the subject of tourism. "There are things to see and do everywhere in Russia, from Kamchatka in the Far East to St. Petersburg, from Pskov and Novgorod in the northwest to Krasnodar in the south." Putin went on to add, "Industry experts believe that only 20% of our extremely rich historical, cultural and natural resources are being used for tourism." The president believes that the reason for this is that tourists who come to Russia continue to follow the beaten tracks.
The most popular trips among foreigners are cultural tours of Russia's historical centers. Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, head of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency, says that 37% of visitors want to see Moscow, and 39% are drawn to St. Petersburg. The third most popular area is the Golden Ring, a route that runs from Moscow to the northeast, through Sergiyev Posad, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Vladimir and Suzdal. The architecture of the churches and fortresses of these towns is wonderfully diverse.
Each town in the Golden Ring has its own Kremlin (fortress) and numerous museums. Suzdal, for example, which used to be the capital of the ancient Rostov-Suzdal principality, is now a small museum town with an abundance of churches. When you walk around this ancient town with its unhurried pace of life you feel as though you have traveled 200-300 years back in time. In Vladimir, frescos produced in the early 15th century by the brilliant icon painter Andrei Rublev have been preserved in the Assumption Cathedral, which was used as a model for the cathedral in Moscow. The Golden Gate is another of Vladimir's famous ancient monuments.
River trips are also very popular with foreigners, in particular river trips from Moscow to St. Petersburg stopping off at the island of Kizhi in the north of Karelia and trips to the Valaam archipelago and Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Novgorod and Pskov in the north and northwest of Russia.
Valaam, for example, which is made up of 50 islands, is famous not only for its rich history and ancient architecture, but also for its climate. Fruit normally only found in southern climes grows in this northern region. Another remarkable fact about Valaam is that trees grow directly on rocks. When you cross Lake Ladoga (Europe's largest lake) to reach the archipelago you feel as though you are on the open sea.
Cruises along the Volga River also sell extremely well. Cruises lasting between one and two weeks include stops in ancient cities and a full program of excursions. Shorter cruises, lasting under a week, usually include plenty of entertainment and opportunities to enjoy nature. The large boats have saunas, solariums, music halls and bars. Professional dancers and singers perform for tourists and tourist themselves often join in.
In central and northwest Russia you can visit the family estates of many famous writers, such as Tolstoi's estate at Yasnaya Polyana near Tula, and Pushkinskiye Gory, which is 120 kilometers from the 1100-year-old town of Pskov. The Pushkinskiye Gory nature reserve is named after the brilliant 19th century poet Alexander Pushkin, is a poetic Mecca for Russians. There on his family estate, Pushkin experienced exile, inspiration, creativity and love.
As for Moscow, tourist numbers in 2004 increased by 17% on 2003 to about three million. Grigory Antyufeyev, head of the Moscow Tourism Committee, says that numbers have been increasing for the past five or six years and that the number of tourists has almost doubled since 1999. He says, "By 2010 we intend to have increased the number of foreign tourists to five million a year." However, Antyufeyev believes that if Moscow continues to develop at the same pace as it is today, we might reach our target by 2008.
Moscow is carrying out two ambitious projects that are aimed at bringing in tourists: the Golden Ring of Moscow and the Garland of Russian Estates. The Golden Ring will be in the capital's historical center, and it will provide pedestrian and recreation areas, new hotels, tourist centers, restaurants and souvenir shops. Monuments in the zone will be restored. However, the authorities are not just depending on the traditional tourist attractions such as the Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Novodevichy monastery and the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, but are also trying to develop new ones. New parks and picture galleries are being opened in Moscow and music and dance festivals organized.
St. Petersburg and its suburbs were cleaned up and improved for the city's 300th anniversary in 2003. Europeans are especially fond of St. Petersburg. The Hermitage, the State Russian Museum, the Kunstkamera Museum, the fortresses, gardens and palaces are usually the biggest tourist attractions.
The nationalities that visit Russia as tourists the most are the Germans, the Americans, the French, the British and Scandinavians. The Moscow Tourism Committee says that recently there has been an increase in the number of tourists traveling from the much more distant countries of Australia and Argentina. And traditionally, Russia is a popular holiday destination with the Chinese. Tourists from the East and West have traveled far and wide and there are not many unexplored areas left in the world. "In this respect, Russia, a vast, multinational and geographically diverse country, has a big advantage," Sergei Shpilko, president of the Russian Union for the Tourism Industry, says. "It still has a lot of undiscovered areas, some of which have not even been explored by Russians."
There are many wild places, where animals have never encountered humans, and there are fascinating polar regions, for example, the island of Vrangel with its Arctic tundra, polar bears and musk oxen. "You can raft down wild Siberian rivers, fish in the wonderfully clean waters of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, see the geysers and giant depressions of Kamchatka or walk in the virgin forests in the Republic of Komi. You can cycle around Karelia, climb the Ural and Caucasus mountains, go horse riding in the Altai nature reserves, and go diving in polar waters," Shpilko says. "For tourists, including those seeking adventure and sports tourism, Russia is a land of plenty."
Many unique century-old crafts are still practiced in Russia, such as bone and wood carving in Siberia and the north. In these regions you can buy hand-made souvenirs, which are rare in these days of mass manufacturing of poor imitations and replicas.
In some regions folk customs have remained virtually unchanged for two centuries. If you visit Siberia you will be able to watch shaman rituals, hear the famous throat singing, and learn about the beliefs of ancient people and rock painting. You can even stay in a local wigwam in a traditional yurt camp.
If you go south, to Derbent in Dagestan, which was founded by an Iranian prince in the 5th century, you can see remarkable ancient fortresses. And there are many more experiences to be enjoyed by a tourist who wants to learn about different cultures and customs.
"The Republic of Yakutia (Sakha) is a real find for tourists," Shpilko points out. "It is culturally rich, and has fantastically varied landscapes and great hunting and fishing. You can buy the purest diamonds and see mammoth burials." If you take the northwestern route around Ladoga and along the Karelia Isthmus you will see ancient settlements, hermitages, the famous Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, and Valaam Park.
The northwest of Russia is another region that is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. President Putin has said that a new tourist route should be created for this region, the Silver Ring (drawing on the idea of the Golden Ring). "There are great opportunities for extreme and cultural tourism in the northwest," Shpilko says. "Pskov, Novgorod and Ladoga, which recently marked its 1,250th anniversary, are full of architectural treasures." In particular, caravanning is taking off in the region.
The tourism industry is also reaching into Solovki and the Kola Peninsula in the north of Russia. Fishing is one of the activities offered by these areas.
Strzhalkovsky believes that Russia could expect a further increase in the numbers of foreign tourists if it were not so expensive to visit Russia and if the country's infrastructure was improved. A two-week trip to Moscow or St. Petersburg costs a European tourist $1,500, which is twice as expensive as it is to visit any other European capital. "If we do not strike a balance between price and quality soon, Russia will lose its appeal for Western tourists," Strzhalkovsky predicts.
Russia has plenty of five-star hotels, apartments and mansions for tourists to stay in, but it does not have enough two and three-star hotels. Russia is studying the solutions found by Spain, France and Austria, where national hotel chains were established to service historic and architectural heritage sites.
Strzhalkovsky also believes that new tourist routes should be developed and that the tourist seasons should be extended and diversified. He wants to see resort tourism being promoted and investment in the entertainment industry, especially in southern Russia.
The resort towns of Sochi, Gelendzhik and Krasnaya Polyana have already become elite tourist destinations. The fashionable Krasnaya Polyana, where President Putin goes skiing, is known as the "Russian Courchevel." It has excellent amenities and plenty to offer tourists. Gelendzhik now has an aqua park and entertainment complexes.
But still, even the Black Sea coast could offer tourists more. It could draw on the experience of Mediterranean resorts, where tourists are treated to knight duels, performances and shows. New types of entertainment could help promote new and traditional tourist attractions. The local transport sector is also in need of modernization.
Strzhalkovsky does note however that both foreign and Russian industry experts have recently commended the tourist services, the restaurants and the whole infrastructure of the tourism industry in Russia. In its efforts to develop the sector, Russia has drawn on the experience of British, American, French and German experts.