Many world powers stake on the development of tourism andreceive up to one third of the gross export receipt by selling travel services.Many countries do that, but not Russia. Economists watching the tourism sectordevelopment have recently found that foreigners spent almost 9 billion dollarsin Russia in 2010. That very year Russians spent around 27 billion dollarsoutside of their country. Moreover, in 2010 foreigners especially those fromdeveloped European countries refused to visit Russian tourist centres – Suzdal,St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Sochi. “Imported” tourists visit Russia 6 timesless frequently than Russian tourists go to Antalia, Cyprus, Greece, CanaryIslands, and Thailand resorts.

What places do British, American and German tourists like tovisit in Russia? Well-to-do people from the EU countries would like to go for awalk in taiga, motor with a motorboat along Lake Baikal or do rafting in theUral Mountains on rivers full of rapids. People with a more moderate incomeprefer watching Russian life onboard one of the tourist steamboats or from thewindow of a tour-bus. It is remarkable that almost none of the tourists fromfarther abroad wish to come back to Russia for a holiday. The reason is quitetrivial – a low level of comfort and the rudeness of the staff.

Managers of travel agencies in Europe complain that Russia istraditionally chosen as a place for an extreme holiday.

A low popularity of tours to Russia is also explained by itshigh prices. Travelling around Russia a foreign tourist faces sometimesunreasonably high internal tariffs for air transportation. Last but not leastis the Russian bureaucracy. It is difficult for a foreigner to get a visa toenter the Russian Federation. 

And what about Russians? While travelling abroad touristswith passports ornamented with proud double-headed eagles pursue a one and onlygoal – shopping. Shopping is the main reason why Russian families rush to theUnited Arab Emirates and Turkey as well as the countries of South-East Asia andChina. For the Russian tourist enjoying the beauty of nature and culture comesin second place, after all the shopping has been sorted out and fur coats,household appliances, clothes, and sometimes even mineral fertilizers have beenbought. No matter how strange it might seem.

The experts of the Russian tourism sector union are sure thatit is possible to change the attitude of tourists in favour of Russia. The mainthing to do is to overcome the negative factors that put obstacles in the wayof the development of tourism businesses. First of all, bureaucratic barriersshould be broken, cheap transportation should be arranged inside of thecountry, hotel services and the quality of service in restaurants, cafes, bars,and other entertainment and socializing establishments should be significantlyimproved.

Travel industry experts note that there have been somepositive changes. But they have not become considerable yet. The process ofattracting foreign tourists and foreign investments into Russia is very slow.That is why Russian “strange” image in the world remains the same. According tocommon European view Russia remains “the country of enormous wealth and crazypeople”.