News Flash

In the latest report from World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Russia is described as one of the main source markets for world travel in terms of expenditure on travel abroad: +21% in 2011. Russia is ranked 4th among the emerging markets, after Brazil (+44%), India (+33%) and China (+30%).

Finland estimates that 3,5 million Russian visitors went to Finland in 2011, which is a record number. However, only one million stayed overnight while the other 2,5 million visited for a day or were in transit. According to absolute numbers, Russia is now the main source market for Finland and also the fastest growing.

Spain expects one million Russian visitors in 2011, with 900,000 Russian arrivals to Spain in the first 9 months of the year. Part of the reason for the boom is the new, more flexible visa procedure, which includes the opening of Spanish visa centers in the key regional cities across Russia and the charter flights connecting them with Spain directly. In 2012, more Spanish visa centers are to open in Kaliningrad, Ufa, Irkutsk, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.