This week (25th, 26th February), British travel operators, attractions, hotels, regional tourist boards and retail groups will meet with over 120 Russian buyers and decision-makers in Moscow to showcase Britain. The event is part of VisitBritain’s efforts to achieve a 75% increase in Russian visitors by 2020, worth £536 million in annual visitor spend.
As Russians rank Britain the sixth most aspirational destination to visit ‘if money were no object’, VisitBritain brings 47 British tourism businesses to Moscow for its latest Destination Britain Russia mission.
VisitBritain’s 2013 Anholt-GfK Nations Brand Index (NBI) survey also revealed that Russians are most keen on our built heritage, having the highest tendency to visit Buckingham Palace out of any other country polled, followed closely by a wander through the Scottish Highlands and a trip to 16th Century Chatsworth House and Gardens.
This week (25th, 26th February), British travel operators, attractions, hotels, regional tourist boards and retail groups will meet with over 120 Russian buyers and decision-makers in Moscow to showcase Britain. The event is part of VisitBritain’s efforts to achieve a 75% increase in Russian visitors by 2020, worth £536 million in annual visitor spend.
There has been a 64% rise in Russian visitor numbers to the UK between 2009 and 2012. In 2012, 227,000 Russians visited Britain, spending a total of £306 million. The average spend per visit is £1,057 (£117 per night) – 76% higher than the all-market average of £600. Russians are the fifth largest spenders in the world as international tourists.
Leisure is the most popular reason for Russians to come to Britain and businesses including British Airways, Fortnum and Mason, Oxfordshire Cotswolds & Blenheim Palace, The Goring, Historic Scotland and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum & Tour will be joining the trade mission at Moscow’s The Ritz-Carlton.
The latest survey of the top 50 nations in the world also found that Russians have an increasingly positive perception of the UK. Russians ranked Britain 4th for ‘Vibrant city’, 5th for its ‘People’, 6th for Historic Buildings’ and 6th for ‘Contemporary Culture’.
VisitBritain’s current marketing activity in Russia includes working with STA Travel’s Russian franchise ‘Star Travel’ over three years to target the younger Russian traveller.
Since the launch of easyJet’s direct Moscow-Manchester flight in March 2013 Skyscanner recorded a 182% increase in ‘Moscow-Manchester’ flight searches (from March to October 2013). The new flight was the first direct regional route from Russia to the North West of England.
VisitBritain Chairman, Christopher Rodrigues, who will be attending the mission, commented: “Britain is an inherently attractive and aspirational destination for Russian travellers, coupled with a short flight time of just over four hours and increasing air capacity. We hope to welcome 370,000 Russian visitors a year to Britain by 2020 and this mission will help generate that growth.”
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
