Few Russians can holiday abroad, a report last week from Russian news agency Pravda recently said: “In 2010, Russian tourists have taken abroad $26.5 billion, Yuri Barzykin, the Vice President of the Russian Union of the Tourist Industry said with reference to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. However, the percentage of those traveling abroad is very small in the country. The percentage of the people coming to visit Russia from foreign countries is even smaller.
As many as 12 million Russian citizens visited foreign states in 2010, Interfax said. Each of those tourists spent the average of $2,200.”
The report states that most Russians would like to holiday abroad, but cannot afford to: “As for the majority of Russians, they have to spend their holidays inside Russia. Many people will not even leave their home cities for holidays. The reason is very simple - finance. All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center has recently conducted a poll, the results of which showed that only ten percent of Russian people would travel abroad this year.”
Given that Russians are already the second highest spenders on tax-free goods in Europe, the fact that so few travel abroad, demonstrates the vast scope for expansion of Russian outbound tourism should the economy continue to expand. It also shows that a small minority of Russians make several trips abroad per annum.
The report continues, “Fifty-six percent of the polled will spend their holidays at home. This index is lower in the capitals: 39 percent of Muscovites and 36 percent of St. Petersburg residents are not going anywhere for holidays. Nineteen percent will spend their holidays in their country houses.
As many as 16% of Muscovites, and 10% of St. Petersburg residents are going for holidays abroad. The Russians are ready to spend 17,000 rubles per person during their holidays ($600). The residents of the Russian capitals are planning to spend more - 25,000 rubles (a bit less than $900).”
