By Zacki Jabbar

The number of Russian tourists visiting  Sri Lanka had increased, but it could be much more if the Price-Quality Ratio was addressed, a Russian official in Colombo said yesterday.

Director of the Russian Centre and Counsellor at the Russian Embassy in Colombo, Andrey M. Nazarkin told “The Island” in a brief interview that according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) 51,000 Russian leisure travellers had visited Sri Lanka in 2013,which was an 85 percent increase over 2012, while in the first three months of this year there had been a 91 percent rise, when compared to the corresponding period in 2013.

According to SLTDA projections the total number of Russian tourists due this year was in the region of 90,000, he said adding “I think it could be more if the “Price-Quality Ratio was seriously addressed.”

Nazarkin observed that there were plenty of Russians who could afford money for a good vacation and  millions of them travelled to various parts of the world.”In my opinion, the main factor that the Russian people took into account when deciding on a holiday destination was the Price – Quality Ratio. Serious consideration has to be given to this in order to increase the flow of leisure travellers to Sri Lanka.”

With regard to promoting Russia as  a tourist destination among Sri Lankans, he admitted that they needed to highlight his country’s beautiful attractions more.

Nazarkin, revealed that over three million leisure travellers had visited Russia last year, but the number of Sri Lankans among them was negligible.

Russia, was a huge country and one could travel within it for years, as it occupied about one sixth of the earth’s surface. There were a lot of incredibly interesting sights and places to see, but it would take hours to describe, he said.

“I would recommend that the trip starts by visiting the main Russian cities Moscow and St. Petersburg. Around these are many interesting places such as towns, palace complexes, parks and natural reserves. Everywhere, visitors can explore the fascinating history, magnificent architecture and marvelous nature. This can, for example, be your journey on the ancient Golden Ring cities around Moscow. The other interesting destinations include the Central, Southern and Northwestern regions, Siberia and the Far East”, he said.