"We compared Rosstat data on international travel and excursion trips to Russian regions in 2016. Finland was visited by 2.8 million Russian tourists, the Vologda Oblast by 3 million, all of them tourists. China by 1.6 million, and the Altai Krai by 1.5 million. "Tyumen was visited by 2.6 million tourists, 750,000 of whom were day trippers who came without an overnight stay," said M. Lomidze.
She compared the 1.05 million Russians who visited Germany with the 1.3 million who came to Kaliningrad, as well as about 1 million people who came to Buryatia to admire Lake Baikal and experience Buddhist culture.
"Greece was visited by 782,000 people, Kostroma by 750,000. France welcomed 393,000 Russian tourists last year, and the Ulyanovsk region by 435,000," said M. Lomidze.
The majority of excursion tourists are residents of neighboring regions; tourists from more distant areas are fewer. Foreigners account for 2.5-61% of the tourist flow.
According to ATOR, 51% tourists in the regions of the Russian Federation prefer to visit museums, most often art museums, while 12% visit local history museums.
"Tourists have an incredibly high interest in the history of the peoples living in the republics. In Buryatia, for example, there's a huge interest in the Old Believers; you can even hold a traditional wedding ceremony there," noted M. Lomidze.
She added that the prospects for gastronomic tourism in Russian regions are growing every year.
According to Rostourism, in 2016, domestic tourism in Russia amounted to 50–55 million people, and outbound tourism amounted to 31.7 million tourists.
Source: tourism.interfax.ru
