Russia ranks 126th in terms of tourist safety
According to analysts, Russia's strengths include its tourism resources: natural beauty and cultural attractions (34th and 21st places respectively). The WEF also noted relatively competitive air transport infrastructure. In the price competitiveness ranking, Russia took 41st place. However, experts point out that the reduction in travel costs due to the weakening ruble was not taken into account in the report.
Experts attributed the weaknesses of the Russian tourism sector to insufficiently developed land and water transport infrastructure (92nd place), a generally unfavorable business climate (109th), and strict visa requirements for foreign tourists (120th). The WEF also noted a relatively low level of safety (126th place), where Russia sits between Myanmar and Jamaica.
As reported by Gazeta.Ru, the top 10 of the WEF tourism ranking includes countries such as Spain, France, Germany, USA, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Canada. The main foreign holiday destinations for Russians – Turkey, Egypt, and Greece – took 44th, 83rd, and 31st places respectively.