vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #606 / Business / Reading article...

The number of foreign tourists traveling to Russia’s far eastern region of Primorye in 2007 amounted to 70,000 people showing a 30-percent decrease compared to the previous year, the Zolotoy Rog business weekly reported.

Neighboring countries such as China, S. Korea and Japan showed less interest in the region compared to previous years, the newspaper said.

China holds first place in terms of tourist flow to Primorye, but in the past four years, the number of tourists has gone down 3.5 times. In 2007 Primorye welcomed 50,000 tourists from China, compared to 74,500 visitors in 2006 and more than 178,000 people in 2004.

South Korea sent some 7,000 sightseers to explore Primorye in 2007 while Japan ranked third with 5,000 visitors. In 2006 the numbers for South Korea and Japan were 8,300 people and 7,000 people respectively.

Interestingly in 2007, the number of tourists from the USA and Taiwan showed a considerable growth of 32.5 percent and 182 percent correspondingly.

The expeditions most popular among foreign tourists are excursion tours, as well as ecological tourism, including such recreational activities as river rafting, hunting and fishing.

Meanwhile, the number of Primorye residents visiting foreign countries last year grew by 195,000 people and the total number of Primorye’s travelers reached 964,000 people, a statement from the regional administration recently reported.

The most popular destinations for the region’s residents are China, S. Korea and Japan. After direct flights from Vladivostok to Vietnam and Thailand were launched, the number of tourists to these countries increased to 1,931 and 7,205 people respectively.

Overall, Primorye’s tourist industry brought 25.6 million rubles ($1.04 million) to the regional budget in 2007, the statement said. The amount received for tourist and recreational services provided last year was worth 402 million rubles ($16.3 million) having grown by 20 percent as compared to 2006, the statement said.