DFA sees more Russian tourists coming to RP this year

More Russian tourists are expected to visit the country following the signing of a bilateral tourism cooperation agreement between the Philippines and Russia.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine embassy in Moscow said the tourism agreement is a way to maintain the record-breaking momentum of tourist flow between the two countries.

Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Ernesto Llamas said the tourism agreement was signed recently at the Yaroslavl Hall of the state-owned Golden Ring Hotel in Moscow by Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano and Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism.

"Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States are among the fastest growing source markets for the Philippines," Durano said.

"With the signing of this tourism agreement, we hope to keep the figures up and see more and more Russian tourists visiting the country."

Strzhalkovsky said the agreement was timely as a means to boost the increasing interest Russian travelers have for new destinations in Southeast Asia.

The region has been popular to long-haul tourists due to the quantity and quality of cultural and natural attractions, he added.

The signing of agreement was witnessed by officials from the Department of Tourism, members of the tourism committee of the Philippine House of Representatives, members of the Russian media and high ranking officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Llamas said the tourism agreement, first drafted in 1998 in the wake of the first tourism sales mission to Russia, is the first bilateral accord signed by the two countries in six years and effectively kicks off this year’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Philippines.

The DFA said the accord manifests the desire of both parties to strengthen and deepen friendly relations through tourism by promoting a better knowledge of life, history and cultural exchange to foster mutual understanding.

The areas slated for cooperation are national legislation; tourism investments and services; simplification of border control, customs and other formalities related to tourist exchange; promotion of organized group and individual tourism; exchange of statistics and other tourism information; training of personnel for the tourist industry; and organization of visits/exchanges of experts; the establishment of tourism offices in the territories of both parties. — Pia Lee-Brago