Russia sees significant rise in foreign tourist bookings

The weak ruble has attracted a 30% rise in foreign tourists booking holidays in Russia, Russian business daily Kommersant reports.

According to the Kommersant report, which cites a study by travel search engine Momondo, foreign visitors are booking to go to Russian destinations other than Moscow and St. Petersburg in increasing numbers. Bookings by foreign tourists to Yekaterinburg in the Urals have risen by 38.6%, while demand for trips to the Siberian city of Irkutsk has grown by 99.5%.

Particularly significant percentage increases have been seen among British and Norwegian tourists, with a 143.9% and 127.9% growth in trips to Russia booked for this summer, respectively, compared to last year. German visitors, who made the most bookings to visit Russia, have shown a 34.6% increase in demand compared to the same period in 2014.

Source: Rambler News Service (in Russian)