What are the hidden worries behind the bright future of Russian tourism?

Summer is Moscow's favorite season. Blue sky and white clouds, tree-lined. Crowds of pigeons flew over the Red Square and the Kremlin, and colorful churches and buildings became more and more beautiful against the backdrop of flowers and fountains. Walking on a busy street is like being in a flowing oil painting, which is refreshing.

Walking in this picturesque place with the citizens of Moscow are tourists from all over the world. In fact, not only Moscow, but also big Russian cities such as St. Petersburg and Vladivostok are summer resorts for foreign tourists. Among them, China tourists are a well-deserved main force.

In recent years, attracted by the devaluation of the ruble, the implementation of visa facilitation measures by the Russian government, the introduction of exclusive tourism products by the Russian tourism department, the adjacent geographical advantages and the "Soviet complex" of the older generation, the number of China tourists to Russia has increased by leaps and bounds. According to the data of Russian Federation Tourism Bureau, about 6.5438+0.3 million Russian tourists visited China last year. In the first half of this year, the number of visa-free visitors in China increased by 36%, and the number of tourists in some areas increased by 654.38+0.000%.

Excellent natural conditions, the government's push, the substantial increase in the number of foreign tourists has brought rich tourism income. The development prospect of Russian tourism is bright. However, behind the lively scenery, there are still many regrettable problems in the Russian tourism market.

First of all, the tourism craze has exposed that the tourist reception capacity in some popular areas is insufficient and the supporting services need to be improved. From the border checkpoint of Moscow International Airport to the entrances of major scenic spots in the city, you can often see several foreign tour groups queuing at the same time. Tourists wearing the same color tourist hats are crowded, and their faces are full of fatigue and helplessness. Due to the shortage of service posts in the peak season, it is common for tourists to queue for half an hour, and it is not surprising for more than an hour.

In some major cities, although the increase in the number of tourists has triggered a hotel construction boom, these cities are still unable to receive tourists. Lebedev, general manager of St. Petersburg Tourism Company, said that during the summer tourist season, the company receives calls every day asking to receive China tour groups, but in the end it can only meet the needs of half its customers.

Secondly, in sharp contrast to the tourists in a few big cities, there are few foreign tourists visiting many other regions rich in tourism resources in Russia, and the distribution of tourism resources is extremely uneven.

The reporter recently visited Karelia, which borders Finland in northwest Russia, and was deeply touched. There are many beautiful scenery, exquisite and unique wooden buildings and a large number of precious historical and cultural relics in northern Russia. Not only that, it is also the location and shooting place of the story of the famous movie Dawn is Silent here in the former Soviet Union.

Unfortunately, "the smell of wine is not afraid of the depth of the alley." Artur Parfen Chikov, CEO of Karelia, told reporters that Karelia only received more than 3,000 foreign tourists in 20 16, less than a fraction of the number of foreign tourists in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Of course, this situation is also related to inconvenient transportation. Although Russia's railways and highways extend in all directions, in fact, except Moscow and St. Petersburg, the traffic conditions in other areas are very general. Especially in remote areas with poor geological conditions such as Karelia, the transportation infrastructure is still relatively backward and the transportation capacity is weak. This undoubtedly fetters the footsteps of tourists to a great extent.

Another increasingly serious problem is the frequent occurrence of "grey tour groups" and compulsory consumption for foreign tourists.

According to the Russian "World Without Borders" Tourism Association, in some illegal tour groups, foreign tourists can only shop and eat in certain shops and restaurants. In particular, China tourists with strong organization and high purchasing power have become the hardest hit areas. Some Moscow shops even "closed their doors" when serving a large number of China tourists, forbidding local residents to enter, which was suspected of high-priced fraud.

At present, the Russian government is working hard to solve this problem. Moscow, St. Petersburg and other places have jointly launched a campaign against illegal tour guides with the Russian Tourism Bureau, and the Tourism Association has also opened a hotline for foreign tourists. But in the short term, the prosperity of gray tourism will continue.

All kinds of problems show that in the face of the rapid growth of foreign tourists, the Russian tourism market, which seems to be in harmony with the right time and place, is actually not fully prepared, and I am afraid that Russian tourism still needs to do a lot of work.

Everything has two sides.