To Russia with love as tourist chiefs sell appeal of Scotland
Russia is one of the fastest-growing outward tourism markets in the world and Scottish tourist leaders want to tap into that to help hit their target of ...

SCOTLAND'S tourism industry leaders will fly to Russia today in an attempt to cash in on what is becoming one of the most lucrative markets in the world.

Russian tourists spend more per day than any other nationality, but the number of Russians who actually make it over to Scotland is well behind the numbers coming from much smaller European nations.

In an attempt to change that, representatives from more than 20 tour operators, hotels and other Scottish attractions will meet Russian tourism leaders on a five-day visit to St Petersburg and Moscow.

According to the latest available figures, Russian visitors generate 22,000 trips to Scotland a year, spending £16 million at the rate of about £100 per night.

But visitors from many other countries exceed that rate. Tourists from the Netherlands, for example, generate 95,000 trips and spend £31 million, despite having a population which is just an eighth of the size of that in Russia.

Russia is one of the fastest-growing outward tourism markets in the world and Scottish tourist leaders want to tap into that to help hit their target of increasing Scottish tourism by 50 per cent by 2015.

Until now, Scotland has been successful in attracting wealthy business people, but there is evidence that the thriving Russian middle-income sector may prove to be even more lucrative in the long-term.

Many of these Russians, if they do travel, will go to sunny places with beach resorts - Dubai and Turkey are current favourites - but Scotland's tourism leaders believe they can persuade them to look further afield and attract the millions who have never managed to get away on a foreign holiday.

Tatiana Danilova, VisitScotland's international marketing executive, said: "Russia is an important emerging tourism market for Scotland, with huge potential for growth. Scotland has what Russian visitors want in abundance, from luxury hotels and spas to world-famous golf courses and, of course, a wee dram or two."

Caroline Packman, VisitScotland's head of business tourism, said: "This is an excellent opportunity for us to show the wealthy Russian market that Scotland delivers the five-star style they are looking for in order to help make Scotland one of the world's foremost conference and meeting destinations by 2015."

Foreign travel carries a huge amount of prestige, especially among Russia's new wealthy elite who are attracted to luxury destinations. These travellers have a growing, disposable income - Moscow is home to the second-largest concentration of billionaires after New York.

But as Russia's economy has boomed, so has the number of Russians visiting overseas: 6.8 million people - or 5 per cent of the population - now travel outside Russia on holiday. This figure is set to grow as the economy improves still further and as more and more Russians realise that foreign travel is within their grasp.

Scottish tourist surveys have found that Russian visitors are among the tourists most likely to opt for five-star accommodation and are likely to book longer holidays because of visa requirements. They also prefer individual tailor-made tours. Shopping is also very important to Russian tourists. The growth of the luxury shopping market has put Scotland on the map for fashion.

One of the reasons why Scottish tourist leaders feel they can make progress in this market is because of the rapid success of those businesses which have tapped into the market already.

The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh reported a 200 per cent increase in bookings from Russians in 2005 after making an effort to promote the hotel in eastern Europe the year before. Representatives from the Balmoral are among those travelling to Russia again this year.