RUSSIAN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL MONITOR 2014

RUSSIAN INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL MONITOR 2014
 RITM 2014 Introduction

Introduction
This is the second edition of the Hotels.com
Russian International Travel Monitor (RITM) which
examines in some detail the impressive growth
in outbound tourism by travellers from the
Russian Federation and its impact on the global
travel industry. It analyses research taken directly
from both Russian international travellers and
hoteliers worldwide, combined with Hotels.com
own proprietary data on independent travel and
other research.

For the opinion of international hoteliers, Hotels.

com carried out a global survey, canvassing
the views of more than 3,200 Hotels.com hotel
partners across all star ratings. Responses were
received from Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal,
Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan,
Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA and Uzbekistan.

For the travellers survey, Hotels.com

commissioned Synovate Comcon, part of the
international research network Ipsos, which
is in the top three leading marketing research
companies worldwide. Synovate conducted
research amongst 1,000 Russian travellers
covering topics including, but not limited to,
booking habits, travel behaviour and spending.

Figures on different aspects of spending,

including prices paid for hotel rooms, are quoted
in Russian Roubles (RUB) and their US dollar
equivalent, with the relevant currency conversion
date recorded in the footnotes.

Berlin, Germany
 RITM 2014 Foreword

Foreword
Johan Svanstrom, President of the Hotels.com brand

The appetite for travel amongst the population of the

Russian Federation remains strong overall - from 2010 to
2013, Russia accounted for around one-third of the growth
in foreign trips by Europeans1. The country had climbed one
place in 2013 to become the fourth largest outbound market,
following a 25% increase to US$ 54 billion2.

However, there is no escaping the fact that 2014 was

a turbulent time. The year started well with the highly
successful Sochi Winter Olympics in February but the
countrys role in eastern Ukraine, combined with the effects
of the subsequent US and European sanctions, falling oil
prices and a weak currency, meant that the travel picture
changed in 2014, with signs that the Russian economy is
slipping into recession in 20153.

The rate of growth in outbound travel from Russia has

certainly slowed but the overall momentum is still building.
With only 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the population of
around 140 million having an international passport4, the
future travel potential is still vast.

UNWTO (United National World Tourism Organisation)

reported a rise of four per cent in expenditure on travel
abroad from the Russian Federation in the first six months
of the year5. According to figures from the Russian Federal
State Statistics Service for the first six months of 20146, there
were 9.5 million trips abroad by Russian citizens, down just
1 per cent on the same period in 2013, with some countries
performing considerably better than this. For instance, the UK
saw a 22 per cent increase in visits by Russian travellers in
the first nine months of 20147 and they still form the largest
inbound market for several countries including Turkey. So the short-term future may be a little less predictable than
before but the underlying trend is still clear. Russian travellers
Our own RITM research shows that the majority of Russians enjoy their newfound freedom to travel where they choose
are now confident enough to book independently online and are keen to try new destinations while our hotel partners
according to hoteliers, 72 per cent of their bookings from remain confident that they still represent a worthwhile
Russian travellers are now made on a variety of devices via opportunity and are investing accordingly.
the internet. Many of our respondents speak of the rising
confidence of their Russian guests, their greater spending We hope you enjoying reading the report and welcome your
power, their willingness and ability in speaking better English feedback. We look forward to hearing from you.
or the local language and their growing independence.
1: http://www.ipkinternational.com/uploads/media/Russian_Outbound_Travel_Market_en.pdf
2: http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights14_en.pdf
3: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30288739
4: Levada Center
5: http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2014-10-30/international-tourism-shows-continued-strength
6: http://www.russiatourism.ru/content/8/section/82/detail/3768/
7: http://www.visitbritain.org/Images/September%202014%20IPS%20Memo%20with%20charts_tcm29-43193.pdf
 RITM 2014 1. Market overview
MARKET OVERVIEW
According to figures from the United Nations
World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2013, the
Russian Federation climbed one place to become
the fourth largest outbound market in terms of
spend, following a 25 per cent increase to US$ 54
billion. With expenditure doubling since 2010, it has
been the second fastest growing market in recent
years after China8.
However, although still growing, the rate of increase in
spending slowed in the first nine months of 2014 to four
per cent9. The overall financial outlook in Russia took a
strong downturn during 2014. The Rouble lost around 60%
of its value during the year against the US Dollar, the oil
price fell by a similar amount since June10, interest rates
climbed, international air fares were on the rise and the
economy is expected to enter into recession11 in 2015.
Percentage of growth in the number of Russian travellers in
2014, as reported by hoteliers
1-10%
11-25%
26-50% 10%
51-75% 3%
76-100% 2%
+100% 1%
10%
8: http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights14_en.pdf
9: http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2014-10-30/international-tourism-shows-continued-strength
10: http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/12/economist-explains-4
11: http://www.focus-economics.com/countries/russia
However, 44 per cent of the international hoteliers
surveyed reported seeing an increase in the number of
Russian guests staying at their properties in 2014 and 75
per cent expect to see an increase in Russian travellers in
the next three years.
In November 2014, Aeroflot launched its new low-cost
carrier Pobeda, meaning Victory, using mainly Boeing
737-800s initially to Volgograd but expanding to connect
Moscow with key domestic destinations such as Samara,
Ekaterinburg, Perm, Kazan, Tyumen, Surgut and Belgorod.
As most international flights operate out of Moscow and St
Petersburg, this will open up other parts of the country to
outbound services.
Transaero Airlines also launched several new international
short-haul routes during the year and other international
airlines have announced expansion plans for 2015.
Inaugural flights between Hanoi and Vladivostok will begin
in May, operated by Vietjet with three round trips per week,
with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hue and Phu Quoc
coming later.
57%
28%
20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
 RITM 2014 2. The Russian traveller

The Russian traveller

This chapter examines the profile of the average
Russian traveller abroad by looking at how much
they spend on holidays, when they book, the
most popular travel times, the length of stay, their
preferred travel companions, preferred booking
methods and accommodation choices.
Travel is obviously a favourite item amongst Russian
consumers as 60 per cent of those surveyed admit to
spending more than $1,000 for their holidays abroad. With
many countries still requiring visas for Russian travellers,
planning ahead is key so 75 per cent of respondents
said that they organised their trip at least one month in
advance, with 28 per cent booking between three to five
months ahead and a careful 10 per cent opting for six
months or more.
Travelling companions
According to hoteliers, Russian travellers do like company
when they travel abroad, with 29 per cent preferring the
camaraderie of their partner or spouse without their children,
22 per cent choosing other family members and 17 per cent
voting for their partner or spouse with children. Only eight per
cent choose to journey solo.
These results were slightly different in 2013 when a partner
or spouse without children was still the most popular option,
although chosen by a higher percentage (32 per cent),
followed by friends on 19 per cent, family members on 16 per
cent and partner or spouse with children on 15 per cent.
Most popular travelling companions for Russian travellers

Booking window for Russian travellers

10%
7%
29% 23% 16% 14%
Spontaneously Partner/spouse Family members Partner/spouse Friends
without children with children
18%
1-3 weeks in advance
28% 1-2 months in advance

3-5 months in advance

37% 6+ months in advance 8% 8% 3%

Colleagues Alone Other

Looking for companionship on their travels is a trend set

to continue as hoteliers reported seeing an increase of 20
According to international hoteliers, the two most popular per cent in Russians traveller with their partner or spouse
months for Russian travellers visiting their properties without children and a 18 per cent rise in family members
are July and August when the schools are on their long with friends up 16 per cent.
summer break, followed by January for the winter break
from 31st December to 9th January.
Booking habits
With an average 40 days, Russians have more paid and
The number of internet users in the Russian Federation
public holidays than most other countries globally.
grew by an estimated 10 per cent in 2014 to more than
84 million but the penetration rate of 59 per cent still lags
The biggest change that hoteliers noticed in the behaviour
behind other European countries, such as the UK (90 per
of their Russians guests in the RITM research was their
cent) and Germany (87 per cent) . However, the growing
improved language skills highlighted by 36 per cent of
movement online is recognised by hoteliers who say that
respondents, up from 24 per cent in the previous report,
73 per cent of their bookings from Russian travellers come
with English as the most popular choice. One in four (28
via an online portal, split between 64 per cent for online
per cent) mentioned higher spending power, while growing
booking websites, six per cent via the hotels own website
confidence and a greater desire to learn more about the
and five per cent using a mobile device. The total is up
local culture were also mentioned.
from 61 per cent in 2013.
Reason for travel Now, only 22 per cent book via a travel agent, down from 31
per cent in 2013, with the telephone accounting for just two
Hoteliers said that 65 per cent of their Russian guests per cent, down from seven per cent.
travel for leisure, 12 per cent on business and 23 per cent a
combination of the two.
How Russian travellers book their accommodation
Length of stay
Russian travellers say that, when visiting foreign countries,
they spend 13 days on average on their trip. When
comparing this data with that from the hoteliers, it would
seem that they typically use 2-3 hotels on their travels as
responses from the hotels report that 85 per cent stay
up to six nights, with two to three nights (48 per cent) the
64% 22% 6%
most popular option. Accommodation Travel agent Hotels own
website website
Average length of stay for Russian travellers

16% 21%

48%
5% 2% 5%
Phone Mobile apps Other

12: http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/

3% 3%
10%
 RITM 2014 3. Where to stay

Where to stay
This chapter covers the different types of
accommodation preferred by Russian travellers
abroad plus the reasons driving hotel choice.
Accommodation types
The vast majority of Russian travellers (83 per cent) say they
prefer to stay in hotels when travelling abroad in preference
to hostels, motels, serviced apartment and other options.
Of these, 35 per cent choose a local chain and 29 per cent
opting for independent hotels and 25 per cent favouring
the certainty of international chains, with only one per cent
selecting boutique hotels.
Reasons driving hotel choice for Russian travellers
When it came to meal options, 43 per cent go for all-
inclusive, followed by 27 per cent on breakfast only, 16 per
cent on half board and eight per cent on full board. Five per
cent picked room only deals.
Reasons driving choice
Although travel budgets can be quite high, it would seem
that Russian travellers do like a bargain as 74 per cent of
those surveyed admitted that price played a significant
role in their decision about which hotel to choose. This
came some way above location (59 per cent) and
customer reviews (51 per cent).
Highlighting once again the declining influence of travel
agents in the decision-making and booking process, only
16 per cent considered travel agency recommendations
as important. Friends were seen as a much more reliable
source on 45 per cent.

74% 59% 51% 49% 45%

Price Location Customer reviews Room equipment Reccommendation
of friends

HOTEL

32% 27% 27% 16% 12%

Hotel Appropriate Star-rating Travel agency Room size
infrastructure neighbourhood recommendation
 RITM 2014 4. Hotel hotspots for Russian travellers

Hotel hotspots for Russian travellers

This chapter explores the hotel facilities used by However, it was the gym (two per cent) that garnered the
Russian travellers, where they spend the most least votes amongst hoteliers when it came to spending
money, and what facilities and services they levels amongst their Russian guests.
value highly, combined with areas where hotels However, when it comes to leaving gratuities for these
could improve. services in the hotel, Russian travellers are not seen as
generous tippers. More than half the hoteliers (52 per cent)
Where they spend reported that they do not leave a tip at all, with a quarter
(25 per cent) saying they only leave up to 5 per cent and
Paying for refreshments in all the hotels catering facilities another 12 per cent choosing 6-10 per cent. Only two per
is where Russian travellers spend the most money during cent acknowledged that their Russian guests left tips of
their stay, according to the international hoteliers surveyed. more than 20 per cent.

The hotel restaurant (53 per cent) and the bar (50 per cent)
are the two highest but the minibar (21 per cent) and room
service (15 per cent) are also mentioned.
The highest non-food and drink related item is Wi-Fi
(22 per cent) followed by the spa (12 per cent). Given the
widespread ownership of mobile phones in Russia where
94 per cent of the population have at least one device13, it
is not surprising that telephone calls were only chosen by
10 per cent of respondents.
Hotel services where Russian guests spend most money,
according to hoteliers
Top service enhancements
The availability of free Wi-Fi remains at the top of the list but
has leaped from 79 per cent in 2013 to 93 per cent in 2014.
Hoteliers have recognised the value and need to provide
this service with 92 per cent saying that this is something
they already offer and a further three per cent saying they
have plans to introduce this over the next 12 months.
The provision of language-related materials remains
a priority with requests coming for translated travel /
tourism guides (50 per cent), in-house Russian speaking
staff (49 per cent), Russian TV programmes (46 per cent),
the hotel website in Russian (31 per cent) and translated
welcome materials (26 per cent). However, Russian
newspapers or magazines are not perceived as so vital
(15 per cent).

As more than 70 per cent of Russian men smoke14,

46 per cent of hoteliers said that their Russian guests

53% 50% 22% requested smoking rooms, although only 34 per cent of
the respondents say they already provide these with
Restaurant Hotel bar Wi-Fi a further six per cent planning to introduce them in the
next 12 months.

Although Russian travellers spend the most money in

the hotels restaurant and bar, they seem willing to try
the local cuisine as the availability of Russian food and
beverages is not deemed important. The latter was
mentioned by 14 per cent of hoteliers and the former
21% 15% 12% by 27 per cent, while Russian room service items were
raised by just 13 per cent.
Minibar Room service Spa

With tea-drinking playing a central role in Russia, 37 per

cent of hoteliers raised in-room kettles as an issue and
here the properties are ahead of their guests as 46 per
cent already provide this facility with a further 10 per cent
planning to do so.

8% 4% 3%
Telephone calls In-room Gym
entertainment

Facilities that Russian guests request and that hotels already offer or are planning to offer in the next 12 months

Free Wi-Fi

Translated travel/tourism guides

In-house Russian speaking staff

Smoking room

Russian TV programmes

In-room kettle

Hotel website in Russian

Russian beverages

Translated welcome materials

On-site shops selling luxury

Russian payment methods

Russian newspaper or magazines

Russian food

Russian room service option

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

13: http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/02/13/emerging-nations-embrace-internet-mobile-technology/ 14: http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/feb/25/will-russians-cope-smoking-ban

 RITM 2014 5. Where to go

Where to go
This chapter examines the reasons driving the Top overseas destinations for Russian travellers in H1 2014
choice of country to visit and the destinations
most visited by Russian travellers, together with
those on their wish list, as well as recent search 1. Rome 11. Vienna
data showing current trends for 2014 and beyond.
2. Paris 12. London
How to choose 3. Barcelona 13. Tenerife
Russian travellers take a wide variety of factors into account 4. Prague 14. Pattaya
when deciding which foreign country to visit on holiday.
Cementing research elsewhere in this report, the availability
5. Instanbul 15. Madrid
of a cheap holiday was the number one factor, together
with a rich heritage, both on 34 per cent. Good beaches as
6. New York 16. Koh Samui
well as country and nature were close seconds on 33 per
cent each.
7. Milan 17. Bali
Ease of travel was highlighted by 34 per cent, with 16 per
cent citing visa-free destinations, 10 per cent naming short 8. Berlin 18. Riga
travel times and eight per cent identifying countries where
no international passport is needed. 9. Amsterdam 19. Phuket

Of lesser importance was having friends or relatives living in 10. Munich 20. Helsinki
the country (six per cent)

When asked which were the most desirable countries for

Factors driving country choice, according to Russian travellers future holidays, Russian consumers focussed mainly on
Europe. Italy and Spain were at the top of the chart, followed
by France and Greece while four other countries in the region
were in the table.

In fifth and sixth, the Maldives and Thailand were the highest
34% 34% 33% 33% 19% placed countries outside Europe. Further down, Japan was in
Cheap holiday Rich heritage Good beaches Country & nature Good for children tenth place and Cuba eleventh with Egypt, the UAE and USA
occupying the final three places in the table.
.
Most desirable countries for future holidays for Russian travellers

18% 17% 16% 12% 10%

Exotic location Quiet location Visa-free Communication Short travel time
in Russian

10% 10% 8% 8%
Availability of Good national Good No need for
good hotels cuisine infrastructure international
passport
Most popular destinations
When asked where they spent their last foreign holiday,
sunshine destinations topped the poll. Russian travellers
reported that Turkey was well in the lead, visited by 17
per cent of respondents, while Egypt was on 10 per cent,
followed by Greece on eight per cent with Italy and Spain
on seven per cent each. Thailand was the only non-
European in the Top 10 in sixth place.
Looking at Hotels.coms own research from its Hotel Price
Index for the first half of 2014, the chart of the most popular
overseas destinations for Russian independent travellers
was an eclectic mix of short and longhaul favourites with
winners and losers close to home and farther afield.
There was a new incumbent in first place in the chart of
most popular overseas destinations for Russian travellers
for the first six months of 2014 as Rome took over from
Paris, moving the French capital to second place.
Istanbul was the highest climber in the table, up seven to
fifth with Amsterdam up five to ninth and Berlin rising two
to eighth. Others, though, saw different results as Madrid
tumbled 10 to No 15 and Riga was down five to No 18 with
Vienna at No 11, London at No 12 and Helsinki at No 20 all
down three. Tenerife entered the table at No 13.
There were four Asian destinations, including two new
entrants. From Thailand, Pattaya rose six to No 14, Koh
Samui slipped one to No 16 and Phuket arrived at No 19
while Bali came in at No 17.
6%
Relatives/friends
living in the
country
Destinations with the highest search increases
Russian travellers certainly set their sights further afield
in 2014. In the previous report, the chart of international
destinations showing the highest search increases on the
Hotels.com Russian website was dominated by Greece and
its islands which occupied six of the Top 20.
In 2014, it was the turn of sunspots in Thailand and the
Maldives with eight places in the table, reflecting the list of
most desirable holiday destinations. Russians travellers do
not require a visa to visit the former and can obtain a visa
on arrival for the latter. Ninh Hoa in Vietnam, another country
that does not impose visa restrictions on Russian travellers,
saw the highest increases in searches over this period, up
an impressive 591 per cent, and there were also other Asian
destinations in Guam and Cambodia in the chart.
In Europe, holiday hotspots also featured in Croatia, Crete,
Italy, Spain, France and Montenegro, which is one of the
few destinations in the region that is visa-free for Russian
travellers. There were a couple of surprise entries from Latin
America in the list representing Colombia and Panama.
Destinations showing the highest percentage increase in
searches on the Hotels.com Russian website for
Jan-Nov 2014 compared with Jan-Nov 2013
Vietnam Ninh Hoa +591%
Thalang +542%
Thailand
Guam Tamuning +460%
Maldives Maafushivaru +436%

Croatia Porec +396%

New York was the only US representative, holding onto Thailand Karon Beach +393%
sixth place. Spain Manacer +382%

Greece Khania +369%

Thailand Sattahip +310%

Italy Fono dIschia +278%

Spain Vila-Seca +266%

Cambodia Phnom Penh +254%

France Nimes +252%

Maldives Nalaguraidhoo +239%

Montenegro Bar +231%

Colombia Cartagena +231%

Thailand Takua Pa +208%

Thailand Phu Quoc +205%

Panama Manama +202%

Maldives Iru Fushi +201%

+100% +200% +300% +400% +500% +600%

 RITM 2014 6. Where Russian travellers paid the most

Where Russian travellers paid the most

Where Russians pay most
This section looks at the average prices paid by Average hotel prices in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013 in RUB
Russian travellers for their hotel accommodation
on the Hotels.com Russian website during the
H1 2014
first six months of 2014, compared with the same Dubai 13,017 RUB +4%
period in 2013, according to the Hotels.com Hotel
Nice 9,518 RUB +42%
Price Index for that period.
London 9,442 RUB +34%

With the fall in value of the Rouble against many major Paris 8,225 RUB +16%
currencies in 2014, travelling abroad became more
expensive for many Russian travellers over this period, Miami 7,919 RUB +24%

particularly in Europe and the USA. San Francisco 7,882 RUB +35%

Dubai was once again at the top of the table on 13,017 RUB, New York 7,648 RUB +7%

following an increase of four per cent. Russia is one of the Tel Aviv 7,600 RUB +8%
top five inbound markets for the Emirate15 but an increase
Venice 7,491 RUB +18%
in the supply of new hotel rooms there helped to diffuse
any potential rises. Milan 6,945 RUB +15%

Amsterdam 6,746 RUB +22%

Well below the Dubai figure, the highest increase in the
chart was recorded in second place Nice, up 42 per cent Singapore 6,666 RUB -4%

to 9,518 RUB, with Paris in fourth, up 16 per cent to 8,225

Brussels 6,553 RUB +0%
RUB. London was in third place, up 34 per cent to 9,442
RUB. As well as a strengthening currency over this period, Los Angeles 6,040 RUB +34%

the city is headed for another record-breaking year for Rome 5,826 RUB +20%
visitor numbers16. Nine other European destinations made
the Top 20. Munich 5,814 RUB +11%

Hong Kong 5,812 RUB +1%

Overall high prices meant that US destinations occupied
Florence 5,499 RUB +25%
three of the top 10 places in the price table. Miami was the
highest of this trio in fifth place on 7,919 RUB after a 24 per Barcelona 5,422 RUB +20%
cent gain, followed by San Francisco in sixth, up 35 per
Tenerife 5,146 RUB +9%
cent to 7,882 RUB, and New York in seventh, up 7 per cent
to 7,648 RUB. Further down the table, Los Angeles was 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
another high flyer, up 34 per cent to 6040 RUB.
15: http://www.thenational.ae/business/industry-insights/tourism/dubai-welcomed-record-break-
Singapore was the only destination in the chart where ing-10-million-tourists-last-year
the average price paid by Russian travellers fell during this 16: http://www.londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases/2014/140710-london-on-
time, down four per cent to 6,666 RUB. course-for-another-year-of-recordbreaking-visitor-numbers-in-2014

Rates paid by Russian travellers fall away quite rapidly

further down the table with popular destinations such
as Tenerife offering a good value 5,146 RUB, Barcelona
on 5,424 RUB and Florence slightly higher on 5,499 RUB,
although these last two were up 25 per cent and 20 per
cent respectively.
 RITM 2014 7. What to do

What to do
This chapter looks at the activities most
enquired about by Russian hotel guests during
their stay.
Hoteliers report that sightseeing (73 per cent) and shopping
(66 per cent) remain the two top priorities, some way ahead
of dining (45 per cent) and visiting beaches (27 per cent).

On the other hand, only seven per cent of hoteliers said

that their Russian guests had enquired about visiting the
countryside and other rural pursuits while five per cent
mentioned gambling. This activity is restricted in Russia
to just four areas, all a long way from the capital, so many
wealthy Russians travel abroad to gamble legally.

Main activities enquired about when visiting a hotel Paris, France

73% 66% 45% 27% 20%

Sightseeing Shopping Dining Visiting beaches Visiting museums,
art exhibitions etc.

11% 11% 10% 7% 5%

Visiting wineries Attending events: Star-rating Visiting the Gambling
theatre, concerts, countryside,
comedy shows etc. rural pursuits
 RITM 2014 8. Country initiatives
Country initiatives
This chapter examines some of the initiatives
taken by countries around the world to help
attract more Russian visitors, whether by
increased marketing activity, relaxing visa
regulations or increasing flight services.
China
Shanghai, China
More than two million Russians visited China in 2013, making it the third
largest inbound market to the country. However, according to figures
released by the China Tourism Bureau, for the first quarter of 2014 at
least were down 10 per cent compared with the same period in 201317.
The current policy allows Russian travellers without a visa to stay in
China for 15 days but the condition is that the group is no less than five
people. This will shortly be reduced to three people.
Following a series of reciprocal events, including the Tourism Years
programme in 2012/13, 2014 is China-Russia Youth Friendly Exchange
Year in Russia and is in anticipation of the China-Russia Youth Friendly
Exchange Year in China in 2015.
Denmark
The preliminary numbers for 2014 show that there were approximately
86,000 Russian overnights in Denmark between January and
September 2014, a decrease of 3 per cent compared with the same
period of 2013, ranking Russia in fifteenth place on the Danish visitors
table. Russian tourists are the group that spends most money while
visiting Denmark, parting with an average 2,400 DKK (US$427) per day.
Since 2008, Russian visitors to Denmark have been a part of a special
travel bureau agreement, which means that the Danish representation
in Russia can issue visas for tourist groups for up to 30 days, as long as
the visit is booked through one of the travel bureaus that are accredited
by the Migration Board. Furthermore, Russian tourists are a part of a
tourist group that must have a host in order to visit Denmark.
Finland
Russia continues to be the top inbound market for Finland for visitors
in general and for tourism. There were 1.6 million overnight stays by
Russian visitors in 2013 which constituted 28 per cent of all overnights by
foreign visitors18. However, the first six months of 2014 recorded a drop of
around 11 per cent.
Finland has had a committee researching questions relating to the
possible eventual removal of visa restrictions between EU and Russia,
which ended in October 2014. As the RITM went to print, the committees
findings and recommendations had not been published and the EU-
Russia visa facilitation agreement of 2007 remains in force.
Germany
Berlin, Germany
In 2013, Germany had just over one million arrivals from the Russian
Federation, up 13 per cent on the previous year, and 2.5 million overnight
stays, up 5.5 per cent, with an average stay of 2.5 days. Up to 3,500,000
overnight stays are expected by 2020. In the first half year 2014, Germany
had 1.24 million overnight stays, down two per cent on the same period
in 201319.
Germany made an important change to their procedures for visa
application process for Russian travellers in 2013 when the process was
outsourced to an external service provider. With the new regulations,
the system has become much quicker and more efficient. For example,
visa applicants no longer need to have personal interviews with the
service provider and do not have to hand their application in personally
as this can now be done by another authorised person.
Ireland
Tourism Ireland believes the Russian market could play an important
part in helping grow overseas tourism in the coming years and help
relieve its dependence on its key source markets of the UK, North
American and mainland Europe. The organisation has secured
representation in Russia for the first time in 201420 and a delegation
of tourism enterprises travelled to Moscow to take part in a sales
mission meeting top Russian travel agents and tour operators, as well
as attending a networking reception at the Irish embassy in Moscow,
attended by more than 100 senior representatives of companies
involved in the MICE sector in Russia.
Since 1 July 2011, the Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows
nationals of countries such as India, China and the Russian Federation,
who have a short-term UK visa to visit Ireland without the need for
a separate Irish visa. This has led to an increase of 70 per cent in the
numbers of visitors from these countries between 2010 and 2013 with
Russians amongst the top three applicants.
17: http://www.cnta.gov.cn/html/2014-4/2014-4-21-15-1-39358.html
18: http://www.mek.fi/tutkimukset-ja-tilastot/yopymistenn-kehityskatsaus/
19:http://www.germany.travel/media/content/presse/de/pressemitteilungen_2014/mai_1/PM_DZT_Incom-
ing_Halbjahresbilanz_2014.pdf
20: http://www.tourismireland.com/Home!/About-Us/Press-Releases/2014/To-Russia-With-Love!.aspx
Italy
Rome, Italy
In 2013, there were just over a million Russian visitors to Italy with 857,000
arriving in the first eight months of 201421, making them the thirteenth
most important source market, up two places on 2013.
During these two years, Italy and Russia promoted a Cross-Year of
Tourism with a comprehensive programme of events taking place in
both countries. Italy was the first European country and the second
international country after China chosen by Russia for a partnership
of this kind. In 2015, Italy is opening new visa offices in Russia and will
release more multiple visas of one to five years for frequent travellers to
the country.
Mexico
Mexico saw a 40 per cent growth in the number of inbound Russian
visitors to 107,770 between 2012 and 2013 when the country ranked
thirteenth in the chart of largest inbound source markets22. Russian
travellers are included in the group of nationalities whereby anyone
holding a valid visa to travel to the United States does not require a
consular visa or electronic authorisation to enter Mexico, provided that
the reason for their trip is sightseeing or an activity that does not involve
financial remuneration. They may stay in Mexico for up to 180 days23.
Spain
During 2012, inbound tourism from Russia exceeded one million visitors
for the first time. In the first eight months of 2014, this figure stood at 1.26
24
million, 8 per cent down on the same period in 2013 .
A new office in Moscow dedicated to visa issuance was opened in 2013
and has hired 60 new people and the consulates in Moscow and St
Petersburg have also increased their staff. They were able to issue more
than a million visas in 2013.
Thailand
Russia is the third-largest market for Thai tourism, behind China and
Malaysia. According to the Thai Department of Tourism, in the first ten
months of 2014, 1,262,516 Russian tourists visited Thailand, up by around
500 from the same period in 2013. Citizens of Russia are permitted to stay
up to 30 days under the bilateral agreement with Thailand, if entering
via an international airport or through a land border checkpoint from a
neighboring country, such as Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Turkey
Province of Mugla, Turkey
In 2013, Turkey was visited by 4.3 million Russian tourists. Once again,
it was the most popular foreign destination for Russian outbound
travellers25, who have not needed a visa to visit Turkey since 2010. In
2012, the period of stay was extended from 30 to 60 days.
USA
San Francisco, California, USA
In the first half of 2014, just under half a million Russian visitors entered
the USA26, while the total figure for 2013 was 335,000. In September
2012, a new visa regime between the Russian Federation and the
USA entered into force. Under the new protocol, standard visas for
both business people and tourists now allow multiple entries over a
period of three years and give the holder the right to stay in the host
country for up to six months at a time27. The US Embassy had already
simplified the visa rules for Russian citizens twice in recent years. In
2008, applicants who had previously received a US visa within the past
11 months were exempt from interviews and fingerprinting.
21: Banca dItalia
22: http://www.siimt.com/es/siimt/siim_siom
23: http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/rusia/index.php/es/embajada/60
24: http://www.iet.tourspain.es/WebPartInformes/paginas/rsvisor.aspx?ruta=%2fFrontur%2fEstructur-
a%2fMensual%2fEntradas+de+turistas+seg%u00fan+Pa%u00eds+de+Residencia.+-+Ref.199&par=1&i-
dioma=es-ES&anio=2014&mes=Septiembre
25: http://www.ipkinternational.com/uploads/media/Russian_Outbound_Travel_Market_en.pdf
26: http://travel.trade.gov/view/m-2014-I-001/table4.html
27: http://rbth.co.uk/articles/2012/09/04/the_us_extends_visas_for_russians_17907.html
 RITM 2014 9. About Hotels.com

About Hotels.com
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How Hotels.com is adapting to the
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Recognising the growing importance of the Russian travel
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we have continuously improved the site with localisation
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In 2010, we started focussing on improving the product
and penetrating the Russian market.
In 2011, we introduced Russian-speaking call centre support
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In 2012, we launched a social presence in Vkontakte and
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awards and was shortlisted in the Best Mobile App section.
In 2013, Hotels.com became the first travel site to introduce
detailed local grammar to localise the site to Russian users
yet further. We also introduced two alternative payment
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Money and Webmoney
In 2014, Hotels.com extended the list of localised payment
methods with Qiwi.
Hotels.com in numbers:

Under its Best Price Guarantee, if a customer can find a

lower price on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will refund the 40million Hotels.com mobile apps downloaded
difference, subject to the Best Price terms and conditions
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Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the 13+million Customer reviews from guests who have
multilingual call centres. A portfolio of special apps for actually stayed in the hotels
mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded at
www.hotels.com/deals/mobile enabling customers to
book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals. 10+million Welcome Rewards members
Hotels.com is part of the Expedia group, one of the largest
travel companies in the world with an extensive portfolio
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Follow Hotels.com on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Rewards members

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85+ Localised Hotels.com websites around the world
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eligible properties to get one night free to redeem on future bookings at another eligible property.
**The maximum value of the free night is the average daily rate of the 10 nights stayed. The free
night does not include taxes and fees.
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as at 1 December, 2014
 RITM 2014 10. Contact us

Contact us
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