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Following the
collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war, Russia’s
stringent procedures for traveling abroad were simplified
considerably. Millions of Russians took advantage of the freedom to
travel to go abroad on business or holidays. As a result of the
break-up of the Soviet Union Russia also lost some of its most
popular summer holiday centers in the Crimea, now part of the
Ukraine, and on the Baltic coast of the former Soviet Baltic states,
such as Latvia. All this encouraged Russians to look further a-field
when choosing their holiday destinations. Approximately 8 million
Russians travel abroad each year. Their top tourist destinations
include Finland, Turkey, China, Poland, Germany, Spain, and other
countries. |
In the chaos
of the market transition of the 1990s freedom of travel also
provided a vital safety line and a means of survival to many
Russians who became so-called “shuttle traders” or shop tourists.
Thousands of people went abroad, mainly to China and Turkey, in
search of goods that could be bought cheaply and then resold at a
higher price back home. In a matter of a few years these small
traders accomplished what the Soviet regime had not be able to
achieve in decades: they saturated the domestic market with cheap
consumer goods.
Russia’s own
tourist industry has enormous potential. Seaside resorts, such as
Sochi and Anapa on the Black Sea coast, are excellent for swimming,
sun bathing, and water sports. Central Russian regions possess many
natural beauty spots including pristine pine and birch forests,
rivers and lakes. Russian cities offer many splendid architectural
sites, such as the Kremlin in
Moscow, and world-class
museums, such the Tretyakov Gallery in
Moscow and the Hermitage in St.
Petersburg. The popular Golden Ring tour takes tourists on a
trip through ancient Russian cities, such as Vladimir, Suzdal,
Sergiev Posad, Uglich, Yaroslavl, and Kostroma.
Also popular
are river cruises down the Volga from Moscow to Astrakhan in the
south. Along the way, tourists admire the river views and visit
cities rich in history and architecture, including Nizhny
Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Saratov, and Volgograd. It is also possible
to cross Russia from east to west by the Trans-Siberian railroad,
stretching for thousands of miles all the way to the Pacific, and
explore the vast territories to the east of the Ural Mountains.
The Russian
tourist industry is well placed to tap the benefits from Russia’s
rich historical heritage and extremely varied geographical
locations. However, it needs significant investments to upgrade and
develop the necessary infrastructure, including modern hotels and
other tourist facilities.