Russia must capitalise on the opportunity to grow travel and tourism following the Sochi Olympic Games, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
David Scowsill, chief executive and president, said Russia needs to ensure it has the right policies in place to make the most of the travel legacy presented by the event.
Scowsill said Russia needs to have a high quality product to appeal to the international visitor. “There is no point hosting a prestige event, at a cost of US$50 billion, if the standard of hotels and ease of travel around the country isn’t in step.
“In Sochi, for example some of the feedback has been that hotels have not been fully ready, hotel rates have been steep and there have been problems with services such as internet access. They need to get the product right, going forward”.
Scowsill says it is also important that Russia makes it as easy as possible for international visitors to come to the country for a short amount of time.
“Russia has been making some strides at improving its visa processes recently. But its visa application processes can still be lengthy and burdensome. For example, group applications are not considered.
“To get to the Games, Russia’s security agencies have issued special passports to all spectators to filter out potential terrorists. We hope that these policies have not put potential tourists off visiting Russia or restricted the number of spectators at the Games.”
WTTC research has found that travel and tourism generates 4.1 million jobs in Russia (5.7% of all employment) and was responsible for 6% of Russia’s economy in 2012 – a larger contribution than many industries including automotive manufacturing, communication services, education, chemicals manufacturing and higher education.
In 2013, visitor spending in the country totalled $20.9 billion, representing 30% of all service exports. The sector’s contribution to the economy is expected to grow at an annual average of 4% over the next decade.
Scowsill said: “This new research underlines the impact that travel and tourism currently has and can continue to have on Russia’s economic fortunes. Russia needs to invest in its transport and tourism infrastructure to ensure it has an appealing product for middle class international visitors.”