ATOR: organized tourist flow to Russia grew by 20% in 2019

Organized inbound tourist flow to Russia grew by 20% at the end of 2019, including due to the World Cup held in 2018, as Maya Lomidze, the executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, told reporters, summing up the results of the year.

"All tour operators recognize the significant impact of the World Cup 2018 on the interest of foreign tourists in Russia. In the organized segment, which is more than 90%, an increase of 20% by the end of the year is a fact," she said.

According to the expert, in 2019 China remained the leader in the number of tourists visiting Russia (1,3 million people). "But in terms of growth dynamics, countries such as Korea, Germany, Spain, Italy and France have outrun it. The increase in demand in Great Britain and the United States is 5-7%. Thus, there is growth in all key markets," noted Lomidze.

According to her, the increase occurred, including due to the expansion of the season and the introduction of an electronic visa in Primorye, Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg played a significant role. Tourists began to visit the country in October-November,” stated Lomidze.

"An important innovation is - at the end of this year, for the first time, subsidies will be paid to tour operators for each tourist from priority foreign source markets," the expert noted.