Russian tourists flock to China, Europe during New Year holidays

VLADIVOSTOK -- During the New Year holidays, there was a surge of Russian tourists flocking to China and Europe, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Friday.

"During the past New Year holidays, 11 percent more Russians went abroad compared to last year's winter holidays. Along with the growth of trips to China and other Asian countries, the number of visitors to European countries increased by 8.5 percent," said the report, citing data from a study made by the Russian telecom giant Megafon.

The number of people visiting China has increased 10 times, the study revealed, adding that China's Hong Kong and Macao witnessed a 22- and 35-fold increase respectively. It also indicated that other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Singapore, Japan and Sri Lanka, registered significant growth in tourism, ranging from 62 percent to 148 percent.

According to the study, Russian tourists were increasingly attracted to the Middle East. The number of visitors to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia increased by 17-20 percent respectively compared to the previous year. Kuwait had a remarkable growth in tourism, with 51 times more Russians visiting the country during the New Year holidays than the year before.

The study showed an 8.5 percent increase of tourist inflow into Europe this season. Italy, Germany and France were the most popular destinations among the EU countries, up 47, 34 and 27 percent respectively. Iceland reported the highest growth rate among European countries, attracting three times more Russian visitors. In contrast, Finland witnessed a decline in tourist appeal, with the New Year influx dropping by 71 percent.