Khabarovsk tour operators to introduce new itineraries to Chinese tourists

A seminar for travel companies’ directors accredited to carry out their business in accordance with intergovernmental agreement between Russia and China that stipulates visa-free travels for group tourists was organized by Tourism Department of the Economic Development Ministry of Khabarovsky Region. In 2010 these accredited travel companies serviced 254.2 thousand Russians and 1.5 thousand Chinese tourists. Tourism Department officials deem necessary to attract Chinese visitors by introducing brand new travel itineraries as well as to improve the quality of tourist guides’ services.

The Departments’ statistics show that there are 256 operating travel companies in the region, 138 of which are tour operators. 377.4 thousand tourists traveled within Khabarovsk Region in 2010, 300 thousand of the region’s citizens traveled abroad. The total volume of travel services amounted to 614 milion rubles, travel sector companies paid 100.2 milion rubles in taxes (37 thousand rubles per each sector employee).

Tourism Department is working on the “Khabarovsk Region Domestic and Incoming Tourism Development Program” for 2013-2017 that implies three major courses: creating of tourist-recreational zones within the large cities, development of sea and river cruises and establishing of recreational-sanative tourism centers based on natural medical resources.

Introducing of regional competitive tourist product is now especially vital because of the development of the international tourist-recreatinal zone on Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island.

The meeting was also attended by Khabarovsk Region and Evreyskaya Autonomous Region Federal Security Service’s Border Control Department’s and Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications’s officials. They explained their documents requirements for organized group tourists who wish to enter Russia, and clarified curent regulations on personal data protection.