News

A senior Russian tourism official has spoken about the country's relationship with Britain when it comes to tourists.

Natela Shengeliya pointed out that Russia has seen an increase in the number of British tourists in recent years, while the number of Russians travelling to Britain has fallen, reports Russian news agency Novosti.

Ms Shengeliya was speaking at the 2006 World Travel Market (WTM) in London and pointed out that the UK had seen a 3% drop in Russian visitors in 2005.

In contrast, Russia had welcomed 9% more British tourists during the year than it had during 2004.

The official used the figures to support her country's new approach to tourism, in which the major cities, such as Moscow and St Petersburg, take a back seat and Russia's regions are promoted.

'The rise in the flow of British tourists to Russia shows that tourists are not after luxury, but after a new tourist offering,' said Ms Shengeliya.

Russia's delegation at the WTM is pushing the regions of Karelia and Murmansk as tourist destinations as well as the Solovki Archipelago.

The Solovetsky Islands were the site of the first Soviet concentration camps which held prisoners between 1923 and 1939.

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