Finland is number-one destination for Russians

The number of visas granted by the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg in 2011 is almost a million

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In St. Petersburg, Pavel Tereskov and his family are ready for their seventh trip to Finland this year.
      ”We would travel even more frequently, if we did not have to wait so long on the border”, Tereskov says.
      This time the Tereskovs have rented a cottage on Lake Saimaa. That is where Pavel, Svetlana, and their son Georgi, 9, will spend their weekend holidaying and celebrating Svetlana's birthday.
     
The Tereskovs belong to Russia’s wealthy middle class, and for them, travelling is the number-one hobby. Pavel manages a retail chain selling bags. Svetlana used to work as a travel guide at Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in St. Petersburg, but now she is a homemaker.
     
The family also intends to visit Finland during the holiday season at the turn of the year, when a record-number of Russians are again arriving in the country in order to celebrate New Year.
      The Finnish Tourist Board predicts that a total of about 300,000 to 350,000 Russian tourists will arrive in Finland at the turn of the year. Area Manager Arto Asikainen reports that a number of travel agencies have already sold out all their New Year trips to Finland.
      The Finnish rail operator VR has arranged 35 additional trains from Russia to Finland, and the border stations are expected to become congested.
     
The number of visas granted by the Consulate General of Finland will this year be almost one million, while the corresponding figure for last year was aboaut 750,000. The pace is always getting faster towards Christmas.
      Today, an increasing number of Russian tourists are coming from a wider area in Northwestern Russia. For example the number of visas granted by Finland in Murmansk has doubled.
      The Tereskovs will celebrate New Year on a cruise, starting from St. Petersburg to Tallinn and circling from there through Riga, Stockholm, and Helsinki back to St. Petersburg. The 6-day trip for four persons costs EUR 1,700.
      ”It is not expensive for us, but for such a short cruise the price is high”, Svetlana says.
     
When it comes to the number of trips, Finland is absolutely the number-one destination for Russian tourists, if the neighbouring countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are not included in the comparison.
      For many years, Finland, Turkey, and China were fighting evenly for the title of the top destination. In 2011, the difference between the countries has become wider: By the end of 2011, Russian tourists will have made well over four million trips to Finland. The number is more than one million higher than that of the trips made to Turkey, which places second.
     
Most of the Russians’ trips to Finland are shopping trips and not actual holiday visits, while the destination of Russian tourists’ holiday trips is most often Turkey.
      Another survey ranked Finland third. In that survey, residents of St. Petersburg were asked to name any country where they would like to travel.
      ”The surveys show that Finland is an interesting destination”, says Pasi Nurkka, CEO of the Lappenranta-based Research and Analysis Centre TAK.
     
The Tereskovs often travel in Thailand, Egypt, and Central Europe - all popular destinations among the Russian middle class. The particularly wealthy Russians travel to the same holiday resorts as the other Russians, but they choose luxury services.
      ”They want to have unique experiences. A possibility to rent a luxury yacht is often a bonus”, says Maija Lomidze, the Executive Director of Russian Tour Operators’ Association.
      ”Exotic destinations, including Chile, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Mauritius are also popular”, Lomidze adds.
      Egypt and Turkey are within reach, even if the budget is small. One-week package holidays in Egypt start from EUR 200 to 300 per person.
     
When it comes to border crossing, the year-end tourist season will again cause congestion at the eastern border. The westbound traffic will start to become heavier on Tuesday after Boxing Day, getting quiet again only after Epiphany.
      The highest numbers of travellers are expected to be seen between the 2nd and 4th of January. The Finnish Border Guard predicts that during those days, a total of up to 50,000 persons will cross the border every day. In other words, one person every two seconds will cross the border.
      Because of the congestion, employees of the Southeast Finland Border Guard District will not be allowed to take holiday leave around the turn of the year. Additional temporary checkpoints have also been built at the border crossing stations in Imatra and Vaalimaa.
      The Russian authorities also intend to launch a campaign to urge shopping tourists to avoid the busiest days.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Tourism from Russia has become a billion-euro business (27.9.2011)
  Tourism from Russia increases tax-free sales in southeastern city of Lappeenranta (22.6.2010)
  Pasi Nurkka knows what Russian customers want (26.10.2010)

See also:
  Resistance from locals threatens Russian entrepreneur´s plans to erect spa hotel in Savitaipale in Southeastern Finland (28.11.2011)
  New spa resort opens up in Lappeenranta (22.11.2011)
  Finnish visa application centre in St. Petersburg is the largest of its kind in the world (9.2.2011)

Links:
  Finnish Tourist Board

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