РОССИЯ: ПРОБУЖДАЮЩИЙСЯ ВЕЛИКАН

                                                                                                                By D.R. Yeomans

 

Many historians worldwide have already suggested that the 20^th century was the Russian century, a century when the affairs of man were touched and molded by Russia’s 1917 revolution. Now, all that is history and Russia has realized that it has a new role to play in our rapidly changing world, which is now threatened with new challenges – and thus opportunities. Pollution, global warming and threats to our ecology worldwide are the new enemies of people everywhere/

 

I was asked to write this short article about tourism in Russia and accepted the invitation without a second thought, since I believe tourism in Russia offers tremendous opportunities for foreign tourists, Russian people and also the Russian state, but more on this later.

 

The very word Russia conjures up many images in the modern mind: its vastness, its huge natural wealth, and a long history shrouded in mystery. Perhaps, of most interest to today’s tourists is its long history, made more interesting by its most recent past, when it was inaccessible to most foreigners. Now, the barriers have gone and Russia welcomes visitors each ear from around the globe.

 

Russia has much to offer the “cultural” tourist, museums, art galleries, concert halls, theaters, and an unrivalled selection of places of religious antiquity, churches, monasteries, and nunneries, cathedrals etc. Excursions by riverboats along many of Russia’s great rivers are increasingly popular. These luxury boats offers passengers relaxation, enjoyment and on-board entertainment, as well as providing opportunities for introducing passengers to ancient Russian towns along the route. Good food and Russian hospitality ensure passengers a never to be forgotten experience as part of a typical Russian holiday.

 

This kind of tourism is tried and tested in Russia, and it is a fact that Moscow is being changed to encourage more visitors to its many new hotels and its burgeoning nightlife scene. I am quite confident that Russia’s “cultural” tourism industry will grow and continue to attract increasing numbers of devotees to Russia’s rich cultural and historic heritage.

 

I have to say, however, that Russia’s government authorities have shown scant regard to attracting tourists to Russia. For instance, in recent years little more than $ 1 million per year has been spent on advertising Russia as a place worth visiting. Compare that with its diminutive Northern neighbor, Finland, which manages to spent annually more than 30 times that amount. In my opinion this is a serious shortcoming that has to be re-evaluated.

 

The recent decision of the international Olympic Committee in selecting Sochi as the venue for the 20014 Winter Olympic Games has offered Russia such an opportunity. Russia now has new and exciting possibilities for showcasing Sochi in particular, and Russia in general, as the place to come to, to explore and to enjoy. Sochi will soon be the focal point for the world’s broadcasting media, transmitting images of billions of people worldwide. Therefore, Russia’s government must now rise to the challenge of making the 2014 Winter Games a memorable and resounding success story, and at the same time reinvigorating its efforts to establish Russia as a major tourist destination. All leading world economies have dynamic and profitable tourism industries. Russia must aspire to such a position, too.

 

It is my strong view, however, that the future of Russia’s tourism industry should not rely only on government investment. Yes, government must have a role to play, but that role should be to provide the possibility for Russian and foreign businessmen and entrepreneurs to develop new tourist infrastructures in new and daring areas of Russian tourism, which at the moment are  at the early embryonic stage of their development.

 

What do I mean by “new and daring areas” of tourism? Russia, the largest country in the world is unbelievably vast, and it is this vastness which offers new form of tourist activities. Maybe it could be described “green tourism”?

 

The hugeness of the legendary Russian steppe and Tundra probably make them among the “last accessible” in our world where adventure and activity tourists can get away from the clamor and cares of our modern patterns of life. In such places the possibilities for horse and pony trekking holidays, now so popular in much of the world, would in my view, take on entirely new perspective in Russia. Riding for days in a small group in remote areas, along with a professional guide of course, would give a new edge to adventure and activity riding holidays.

 

Russia is a land of huge forests, rivers, lakes and pools, many of which see no humans from one years end to another. Thus, fishing and canoeing are other activity holiday that could be enjoyed by people possessing a spirit for finding something out of the ordinary. There are unlimited possibilities offered by Russia for such tourism. Walking, climbing, skiing, snow-boarding, mountain biking and rough-stuff cycling over old and primitive roads and tracks. All these adventure and activity holidays will appeal to those who thrive-on and seek challenges in quite unique terrain. The participants will come from that group that do not seek 5-star luxury hotels and all the attendant trappings, but by the increasing numbers of younger people who are seeking something different and healthy, and also which can offer the simply delights of good food, drink, interesting company and traditional entertainment.

 

These then are my initial thoughts on the question of Russian tourism. The reality of cultural tourism is well established and is constantly being improved by large numbers of new hotels and facilities coming on stream which make for a dynamic growth in this sector of visitors to Russia.

 

However, in my opinion, the possibilities for attracting huge numbers of newer, younger tourism to Russia resides in the area of adventure and activity holidays. Russia has limitless possibilities to develop this segment of the tourist market. But this will require the entrepreneurial spirit of private investors, Russian and foreign, backed up by the Russian state providing the safeguards and guarantees that only the state can provide.

 

Private investment funds have to be positively encouraged to develop relatively simple and inexpensive infrastructures for all types of adventure and activity tourist possibility. The possibilities are endless – just like this giant country which is now awakening into all sectors of its economic activities.