TOMSK, Oct 24 – RIA Tomsk. More than 10 thousand foreign tourists visited the Tomsk region in nine months of 2017; small increase in tourist flow is observed for the first time since 2014, the Chairman of the Committee for the Development of Domestic and Inbound Tourism of the Tomsk region Irina Lakhtionova reported to RIA Tomsk on Tuesday.
According to the Directorate for Migration of Regional Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk region, 10 692 foreign citizens arrived to the Tomsk region in three quarters of 2017. This number hadn't included those who receive the visa to work or come to study.
As Lakhtionova reported, there were 10 377 guests from abroad for the same period of last year, that is small growth is observed. According to her, it happened for the first time lately: the number of foreign tourists in the Tomsk region decreased since 2014. First of all it was connected with the fact that many international projects, including educational were closed because of sanctions and countersanctions.
"Tourist flow grows when organized groups appear. For example, we had had a branded route "Tomsk is a heart of Siberia" this year, developed by the Tomsk tour operator "Park-Tour". It was approved by the commission of advisory council of the Ministry of Culture within federal project "Great Tea Way". The route was included in a line of sales by already six federal operators", – the interlocutor of the agency explained.
Lakhtionova also connects positive dynamics of this year with active advance of the region: there are a lot of those among foreign tourists who come to our regions purposefully, with a tourist visa. From 14 007 foreigners who visited the Tomsk region in 2016 nearly 2 000 people arrived to the region with a tourist visa.
"About 2 500 foreigners arrived for business trips in 2016. The most popular type of the visa is private, it was received by 7 500 people. As a rule, they come to visit friends and acquaintances, relatives, with some personal purposes, for example, treatment and consultations in medical institutions of the region", – Lakhtionova told.