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More than 993.4 thousand foreign citizens have visited Russia on tourism purpose over the last half year. According to the data of the Federal State Statistics Service, this amount is 20% more than for the same period in 2011. Visitors from of the far-abroad countries compose the major part of tourists in Russia – they account for 94.3% of the total tourists’ flow (936.4 thousand trips plus 20.6%). In the period from January to June Russia received 13.1 million of foreign citizens from 215 countries, which is 14.7% higher than the analogous index of 2011. In the first six months of the current year Russia was in the greater demand of the tourists from Germany, almost 144 thousand of which have visited the Russian Federation during this period. Second place is taken by the tourists from China (112.8 thousand people), and the tourists from the USA make the top three country-visitors (about 63.5 thousand tourists). The quantity of foreign tourists who has visited Russia in 2011 exceeded 2.3 million people, what is 9.5% higher than the analogous index of 2010. The total quantity of visitors to Russia in the previous year is more than 24.9 million of foreign citizens from 222 countries, which is 11.9% higher than in 2010.
On the 9th of August there has been signed a Government decree of the Russian Federation #184 “Concerning accession to the International Convention on the control of harmful antifouling systems on ships”. The Transport Ministry has been authorized to supervise the licensing procedure of ships for the use of antifouling systems which satisfy international standards. The Federal Marine and River Transport Agency will execute ships’ inspection for conformance to the requirements of the convention. Fouling of ships’ bodies drops their performance characteristics: in particular, it reduces speed, increases fuel consumption and repair expenses. However some of the preventive measures taken by ship-owners bear toxic character and have a negative impact on the ecology. The international convention contains a list of harmful antifouling systems and regulates the process of their use on ships. Russia’s accession to the international convention will help exercising control over antifouling ship systems in ports regardless the flag and will improve the ecological condition of Russian seaports’ water areas.
The European Commission (EC) will present in September recommendations concerning development of a system of electronic visas for attracting Russian and Chinese tourists to Europe, as stated by the vice-president of the EC, the EU Commissioner for Industry and Tourism Antonio Tajani. "Europe remains the main tourist direction in the world… The continent attracts a lot of tourists from Russia and China, but the visa regime is still a serious obstacle for them. We can solve this problem by implementing new technologies – electronic visas. Now we are discussing our perspectives and in September the Commissioner for Security and Interior Cecilia Malmstroem will present a resolution concerning this issue”, he stated. Tajani also mentioned that tourism is one of the most stable sectors of the European economy, which resists crisis best of all and creates new workplaces especially for the youth. Nevertheless the visa issue, according to his words, is very difficult as the majority of illegal emigrants have arrived to the European countries using travel visa.
The President of the Russian Federation has signed a law concerning ratification of the agreement about simplification of the visa regime with the USA, which provides for less difficult procedure of visa issuing on the basis of invitation from a host party for a period up to 3 years. The federal law was signed on 28.07.2012 #147-FL and is called “Concerning ratification of the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States of America about simplification of the visa regulations for citizens of the Russian Federation and for the citizens of the United States of America”. The document was signed on the 21st of November 2011; it is aimed at establishing of more favorable conditions for trips of Russian and American citizens, at development of economical, cultural, scientific and humanitarian connections between the two countries. As was stated by the Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov, there is a possibility to enter visa-free relations with the USA by the end of the decade. The agreement concerning simplification of the visa regulations for the citizens of the both countries was made on the 19th of November on the Bali Island by means of note exchange by the Heads of the Foreign Affairs Agencies of the both states – Sergey Lavrov and Hillary Clinton.
There has been a meeting of Ministers for tourism of the APEC countries in Khabarovsk; the members of this meeting have accepted the final declaration and approved a plan of tourism strategic development for following three years. “Economics of the APEC includes 44% of foreign trade and 40% of global tourists’ flow. It’s obvious that we do have potential of expanding international tourism, what should have a multiplicative effect on economic growth. Today we have discussed existing opportunities and issues of higher priority for releasing economic potential of tourism”, stated the head of the Federal Tourism Agency Aleksandr Radkov at the final press-conference. According to his opinion, first of all it means tourists’ service quality improvement, visa regime easement, safety assurance, as the region of the APEC is exposed to natural disasters and tourists frequently appear to be a vulnerable group. “Increasing safety of product for tourists means improving its quality. Proposed by Russia and approved by the ministers of the other countries guiding principles of the APEC in assuring tourists’ safety will help economies to be guided by the advanced experience and to cooperate better in crisis conditions”, added Radkov. He stated that one of the most important issues is liberalization of the transport services sector. “According to the expert estimates, about 50% of tourists use air transport, and elimination of entry barriers to national markets of air transportations can increase passenger flow by 53%”, said the head of the Agency. According to his words, in the course of the meeting the participants also have approved the strategic plan of tourism for the period of 2012-2015, which may raise systematization in collaboration of the APEC economies for promoting interests of the tourism industry. “The APEC economies have similar interests in the sphere of tourism development; there is a base for further collaboration. It is reflected in the Khabarovsk declaration summarizing the results of the meeting. The participants have agreed to propose to the leaders of the APEC economics at the summit in Vladivostok to include regulations concerning the importance of tourism in the declaration of the APEC summit”, mentioned Radkov.
In the end of 2012 or in the beginning of 2013 Russia will start issuing biometric visas it testing mode, and by 2014 it will come to country-wide distribution, as was said by the head of the Consular Service of the Ministry of Russia for Foreign Affairs Andrey Karlov. The diplomatic official underlined that this is one of the reasons why Russia tries to establish as much visa application centers (VAC) abroad as possible. At the moment there are being worked out possibilities for creating such centers not only in Europe and the U.S.A., but also in several Asian countries (South Korea, China, Japan), as well as in Australia. In response to complaints about the work of the Russian visa application centers, the diplomatic official assured that all organizations are operating in accordance with the agreement between Russia and the EU. The terms are being observed everywhere: three days for urgent visas and 10 for common ones. The prices are also being kept within the specified limits: service charge of no more than 30 euro is added to the consular fee of 35 euros for a common visa and of 70 for the urgent one. Beside other requirements of the Ministry of Russia for Foreign Affairs to operating companies, there is service time: it shouldn’t exceed 15-20 minutes. In those countries where our VAC have been operating for a long time (Great Britain, Spain, Finland) there has been a growth of tourists willing to visit Russia. Foreigners still have possibility to appeal to the Consular Service of the Russian Embassy. In this case they won’t have to pay any charges for outsourcing. Nevertheless only those who come with documents to a VAC can be guaranteed from waiting in a queue. If in a consulate there are approximately 2-3 wickets for visa application, in VAC there are as much of them as it’s needed: for example, there are 6 in Helsinki and New-York, 13 in London and 9 in Paris.
Russian tourists who leave the country must have insurance at least for 1 million rubles, as appears from the prepared by the Ministry of Finance amendments to the law “Concerning tourist activity in the Russian Federation”, which is published on the website of the Ministry. According to the law in force, Russian tourists with insurance policies can get medical aid if it’s provided for in the legislation of the country they arrived to. The Ministry of Finance explains that in those countries with which Russia has an agreement for visa-free regime, the tourists have to pay medical services by themselves. The new amendments provide for medical insurance of tourists regardless the legislation requirements in the country of temporary residence. Such insurance includes accident insurance, medical insurance and insurance of financial risks. The Ministry of Finance explains that 1 million rubles can cover different expenses for medicine, including evacuation of a tourist or repatriation of his remains. Moreover the new amendments to the law concerning tourism in Russia meet the requirements of the EU which provide for the minimum insurance rate to reach 30 thousand euros 1.25 million rubles). Now such insurance for 30 thousand euro is obligatory only for those who arrive to the Schengen countries. The Ministry of Finance also proposes to amend the law “Concerning the procedure for exit from the Russian Federation and entry into the Russian Federation” so it would be up to Russian government to sanction the medical treatment procedure.
Introduction of a 72-hours visa-free stay in Petersburg is proposed in order to attract transit passengers from Asian countries to the Northern air harbor. The similar regime is operating now for those who arrive at the Northern capital on cruise liners. The management of the Pulkovo airport is intended to address the State Duma and the Federation Council with this proposal. According to the General Director of the “Northern Capital Gateway” Sergey Emdin, those who fly from the APEC-countries for 8 or 9 hours can pass inspection while in flight and get a right to visit Saint-Petersburg without processing a visa. Tourist companies can submit group lists on a border, as it is now if tourists travel by ferry. The similar 72-hours visa-free regime in Singapore has let us develop a transit airline hub serving today more than 45 million persons a year. Passenger traffic in the Northern capital is much less yet: this year only 11.5 million passengers are expected to arrive.
As stated by the press-service of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency, inland water ways of the Russian Federation are open for foreign sport, leisure and tourism vessels from 25th of May 2012. Starting from 25th of May 2012 state registration of marine and river vessels will be realized in the following way: 1. A watercraft up to 200 kg weight and with engine power up to 8 kW is not a subject to state registration – such vessels don’t require certificates of state registration, classification and examination are not executed. 2. A sport sailing ship up to 9 meters long and without recreational spaces (berths) is not a subject to state registration – such vessels don’t require certificates of state registration, classification and examination are not executed. 3. A small-scale vessel (up to 20 meters long with up to 12 persons aboard) which don’t carry out commercial activity. Classification, examination and state registration in the small-scale vessels’ register are executed by the State Inspection of Small Vehicles of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, the vessel's certificate is issued. 4. A small-scale vessel (up to 20 meters long with up to 12 persons aboard) which carry out commercial activity. Classification and examination are executed by the Russian River Register (RRR) or the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) with issuing the act of classification and examination, state registration is executed by a captain of a seaport or by the state basin authorities of waterways and shipping (SBA WWS), the vessel's certificate is issued, mixed river-sea-going vessels being registered by a captain of a seaport. 5. Sport sailing vessels regardless the dimensions (excluding sport sailing vessels which are not subjects to state registration). Classification and examination are executed by the RRR or the RMRS with issuing the act of classification and examination, state registration is executed by a captain of a seaport or by the SBA WWS, the vessel's certificate is issued, mixed river-sea-going vessels being registered by a captain of a seaport. 6. Leisure not small-scale vessels (more than 20 meters long with 12 to 18 persons aboard, which don’t carry out commercial activity). Classification and examination are executed by the RRR or the RMRS with issuing the act of classification and examination, state registration is executed by a captain of a seaport or by the SBA WWS, the vessel's certificate is issued, mixed river-sea-going vessels being registered by a captain of a seaport. 7. Not small-scale vessels (excluding the stated above) regardless the fact of engagement in commercial activity or not. Classification and examination are executed by the RRR or the RMRS, or by the Germanischer Lloyd or the Bureau Veritas for the vessels registered by the Russian International Register of Vessels (RIRV), with issuing the classification certificate and the certificates prescribed by the Inland Water Transport Code (IWTC) or the Merchant Marine Code (MMC) respectively and by the international conventions. State registration of such vessels is executed by a captain of a seaport or by the SBA WWS, there are issued the property certificate and the certificate of flag of the Russian Federation, mixed river-sea-going vessels being registered by a captain of a seaport. The law doesn’t have retroactive force, all the previously issues documents save the force until the next period of examination. During a year the registration system will be smoothly transformed into the new one.
On 21st of May the President of Russia Vladimir Putin has signed a decree concerning transformation of the Ministry for Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy into the Ministry of Russia for Sports headed by Vitaly Mutko with delegation of several functions to the other ministries. According to the decree, from now on the Federal Tourism Agency is under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Culture manages respectively coordination and regulation in the sphere of tourism. According to the opinion of Vladimir Kantorovich, the first vice-president of the Russian Tour Operators Association (RTOA), tourism has to be related to an independent agency subordinated straight to the Prime-Minister. “Culture is rather a social sphere, while tourism is a branch of economy”, - stated V. Kantorovich. According to him, one of the main current problems of tourism is absence of skilled authorities in power. The vice-president of the Russian Tourism Industry Union (RTIU) Yury Barzykin in his turn considers that tourism has more common to culture rather than to sports or youth policy. “From the other hand, how long can we delegate the branch from one agency to another? And it’s certainly frustrating that now the word “tourism” itself doesn’t figure in the name of the corresponding Ministry”, - supposes Yu. Barzykin. As stated by the experts, the Minister of Culture himself is unlikely to supervise directly the sphere of tourism – he is expected to appoint a deputy for that purpose.
The Heads of the three regions – Laane-Virumaa (Estonia), Kymenlaakso (Finland), Kronstadt region of St. Petersburg (Russia) – have signed an agreement about the project of a small cruise tourist line Kunda (Estonia) – Kotka (Finland) – Kronstadt (Russia).
The project PKS-40 “Sura” was designed by a tour operator of Nizhny Novgorod. The investments for this project reached 60 mln rubles. Almost all the river cruise ships that are being used on the Russian rivers were produced last century in the GDR, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. In the contemporary history there was no production of river cruise ships in Russia. “Sura”- is a wheeled river cruise ship with an electric drive of paddle-wheels. Its length is 35.5 meters, the width – 9.8 meters, the draught – only 0.67 meters. It may gain speed up to 12 km per hour. | ||||||||
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Visa-free regime for transit airtravellers is planned to be introduced in Saint-Petersburg
