According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), the great demand for Italy was noted among the tourists from Moscow. The statistics of issuing visas shows a considerable growth in comparison with 2009: the number of issued tourist visas increased by 52.4% during the first 8 months of 2010 (290 970 visas in 2010 and 190 950 visas in 2009). According to ENIT, the Consulate in St. Petersburg demonstrates more restrained dynamics: the number of tourists increased just by 11.2% (14 592 visas in 2010 and 13 034 in 2009).

The data of Federal State Statistics Service confirms the growth of demand for Italy. According to the results of the first six months of 2010 almost 195 thousand Russian tourists visited Italy (+35.1% in comparison with the first six months of 2009).