Russia’s poor image overseas is holding back its inbound tourism industry’s ability to draw visitors from america and western Europe, reveals new research at WTM Vision Conference – Moscow today.
Inbound tourism arrivals in 2012 showed solid growth to arrive 26 million, in accordance with Euromonitor International. However, the research company’s Senior Research Analyst Mantas Kaluina will tell WTM Vision Conference – Moscow delegates Russia continues to be reliant on visitors from neighbouring countries and the industry must work on tourism flows from the usa and Western Europe.
Visa bureaucracy, security, infrastructure and the standard of tourism services contributed to Russia’s poor image overseas, he added.
The Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan accounted for just about half all visitors, sending around six million, three million and two million respectively. Looking forward to 2017, Euromonitor international expects little change, with a similar three accounting for eight million, six million and 4 million arrivals.
Germany is its strongest western European market, however the figures for 2012 to 2017 fall well in need of 1000000 for every year. Visitor numbers from China, however, will exceed a million by 2017.
Russia’s outbound market was up 9% in 2012, driven by the expansion of the center classes. The preferred destinations are local – Ukraine, Finland, Kazakhstan.
By 2017, nearly 40% of Russian households can have a disposable income greater than US$25,000 (£16,500, 771,415 Russian Rubbles) reveals the research. Russia will account for an extra eight million overseas trips by 2017, the most important increase except China.
For many Russian, international travel is a brand new possibility. Around half all package holidays sold to Russians in 2012 costs between $600 and $1500, with Turkey, Greece and Egypt dominating the market.
Online may also drive the expansion of outbound travel, with total sales growing by greater than 10% a year until 2017. Air tickets are the most important category for sales, followed by hotels, while social media continues to grow in importance.
Euromonitor International’s predicts the worldwide travel industry will grow by 4% between 2012 and 2017.
Reed Travel Exhibitions Director World Travel Market Simon Press said: “The predicted growth in Russian outbound traffic is excellent news for the worldwide industry, however the report shows greater support may well be given to its inbound industry, especially to draw tourists form the huge markets of the U.S. and western Europe.”
Moscow was the host city for the 1st of 5 WTM Vision Conference of 2013. Next is Beijing (8 April), followed by Sao Paulo (24 April), Dubai (7 May) and Rimini (17 October).
WTM Vision Conference – Moscow is organised in association with Tour Business.
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