Spain earned €2 billion on Russian tourists

Russia isthe fastest growing travel market for Europe; and Spain is the most popular European destination among Russian travelers. This was reported by Spain's Secretary General of Tourism, Ms. Isabel Borrego, during her visit to the MITT-2013 trade fair in Moscow.

Over the previous year, the work of Spanish travel sector brought positive results. According to the Spanish Tourism Research Institute (IET), the country was visited by 1.2 millions Russians in 2012 which is 40% more if compared to 2011. The number of Russians choosing Spain for their vacation has almost doubled within the last three years.

In 2012 Russian tourist flow was distributed among Spanish region as follows: Catalonia, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and Valencia; with an average length of stay being 9.7 nights.

An average Russian tourist's expenses have, too, increased in recent years. In 2012, it was €1535 per person per tip. Daily expenses amounted to around €159, which is 9.5% more compared to 2011. As Isabel Borrego reported, the increased number of Russian tourists yielded a profit of €1.8 billion to the country's economy.

Ms. Borrego stressed out that her government's visa policy allowed for an increase of 23.4% in the number of visas issued by the Spanish Consulate General in Moscow in 2012.