RUSSIA

Journal: TWUK	Section:
Title:	Issue Date: 19/06/00
Author:	Page Number: 49
Copyright: Other

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RUSSIA

Moscow: city-break operators Thomas Cook and Time Off added Moscow and St Petersburg but many city specialists have yet to take the plunge

Despite its high profile, Russia has no UKtourist office and its holiday industry is paying the price with low bookings.

The absence of a Russian tourist office in the UK and lack of a tourism authority in Moscow to co-ordinate the industry are stifling Russia’s progress as a holiday destination, according to operators.

The meeting of prime minister Tony Blair and new Russian president Vladimir Putin may have put Russia in the public eye in the UK but the country is failing to capitalise in tourism terms, said Intourist managing director, Des McGuinness.

“Individual US states have tourism representation here but the world’s largest country has nothing,” said McGuinness. “Russian tourism needs an authoritative voice abroad.”

Privatised in 1992, Intourist, is still regarded by many people as the official tourist voice of Russia.

“We get calls every day from people who have booked with other operators but still think Intourist is the official Russian tourist office,” said McGuinness.

“It’s a role we would happily take on again, given adequate funding. Russia badly needs someone to promote its wealth of tourism possibilities.”

Regent Holidays director Neil Taylor added: “The Russian tourism product is now satisfactory but it doesn’t sell itself. The Russians’ complacency is extraordinary in the light of falling numbers from the UK and everywhere else. More people are now going to tiny Estonia than to mighty Russia. The market for Russia has become highly specialised, whereas 15 years ago it had great mass-market potential.”

Tourists may be deterred because it takes longer these days to obtain a Russian visa, and the cost of staying in a hotel can be quite high. Russia’s volatile economic state has also caused tourists to stay away but numbers have started to rise this year, says Regent Holidays’ tour manager, Cristina Gibbons.

The UK market to Russia numbers an estimated 55,000, a figure not helped by the demise in the past two years of specialist operators Fregata and Multitours. Commodore’s Mastertours is part-filling the void but there is little dedicated Russia product available for agents to sell. In the wake of this, it is left to city-break operators to fly the Russian flag. Thomas Cook and Time Off added Moscow and St Petersburg last year but many city specialists have yet to take the plunge.

They claim the cost of a Russian visa – up by £10 this year to £30 from the embassy or from £40 when arranged through operators – and the time taken to acquire it makes short breaks less attractive.

“People will put up with the visa nonsense if they’re making a Trans-Siberian Railway journey but it’s proving a deterrent for short breaks,” said Regent’s Taylor.

Crystal and Mastertours are among operators incorporating the visa cost in their brochure prices. “Every client needs a visa so including the visa cost seemed a logical step,” said Mastertours’ operations supervisor Tim Campbell.

Norvista marketing manager Graham Small says Russia has become a niche destination. “The dramatic change in the Russian economy from August 1998 has slowed growth and it hasn’t picked up yet,” he said.

Safety is another deterrent, though operators feel this issue has been exaggerated. Small said: “The question of safety has been blown up out of all proportion and though it shouldn’t affect people’s choice, it does have some impact.”

Intourist’s McGuinness said: “In communist times you had a sense of absolute security. Now Moscow and St Petersburg are no different from any other major city – you wouldn’t walk in certain areas of London and Washington in the early hours of the morning.”

The shortage of medium-priced hotels in Moscow is concerning operators who fear the glut of top-end hotels – Marriott now has three five-star hotels in the city – could push up prices.

“There’s an excess of business hotels aimed at the business community, but nowhere near enough three and four-star hotels for the tourist market,” said McGuinness.