Cathedral in Kaliningrad
Ferry travel has long been popular among residents of Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Germany. According to the head of the Federal Agency for Tourism, Anatoly Yarochkin, in the 2010 season, cities with ferry connections and well-developed related infrastructure will 'take off,' namely Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg. The example of St. Petersburg shows that both the number of guests arriving by ferry and the number of cruise liners passing through the port city are increasing.
The countries from which an influx of tourists is expected are Russia, Germany, and Ukraine. These data were provided by the agency 'Strategy Partners,' which conducted a study of the region's tourism services market. The second tier consists of Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Poland. This division is related to the assessment of the convenience of transport links between Kaliningrad and these countries. The researchers also noted that residents of these European countries often travel to countries with a familiar cool climate.
However, for all the advantages of Kaliningrad and the region as a tourist destination, there are also disadvantages. The level of service in the hospitality industry enterprises of Kaliningrad is lower than in the Baltics. Budget hotels in Kaliningrad offer a modest set of services that may seem insufficient to picky Europeans. At the same time, the cost of accommodation may be higher.
Moreover, paradoxically, Kaliningrad lacks advertising and PR. The region has many historical and architectural programs, beautiful nature, a mild maritime climate, and conditions for comfortable living, but nobody knows about it. The small number of offered excursion programs also does not work in Königsberg's favor.
Nevertheless, representatives of the tourism industry of the Kaliningrad region look to the upcoming season with optimism. The level of domestic tourism in the Russian Federation remains quite high. So we can count on fellow countrymen as guests.
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