Top Visited Countries by Primorye Tourists

VLADIVOSTOK. March 3. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Despite the economic meltdown, Primorsky Krai residents do not deny themselves the pleasure to travel abroad.

However, instead of expensive tours that include air travels and five-tar hotels, Primorye residents started to chose tours by land transport and reserve less expensive hotels, says Elvira Khodunova, Director f Vladivostok Travel and Excursion Bureau.

Since last summer, when flights to Moscow became less expensive, Primorye residents take more European tours. Thailand is becoming more popular with travelers due to the emergence of a new tour operator in the local market that offers charters, which are less expensive than regular flights. The cost of such two-week tour is about 40,000 rubles. As a result Individual tourists as well as organized travel groups of less than 30 people became frequent visitors to Thailand.

“A travel group is invariably accompanied by a tour guide, because the Thai tourism is still far from being perfect. The Russians like the best service” said Elvira Khodunova.

South Korea has also become increasingly popular with residents of Primorsky Krai - transportation cost decreased as the opportunity to travel by sea appeared. In addition, a considerable number of new itineraries have been introduced lately. Earlier, Primorye tourists usually visited Seoul, but now many choose Korean ski resorts; parents send their children to the so-called “summer camps”, two-week tour of eight major Korean cities. Such tour costs approximately $1,100.

Harbin, Beijing and Dalian are the most popular Chinese tours among Primorye residents. However, tourists tend to prefer land transport to flights because of the high price of the latter. Thus, the cost of a five-day tour to Harbin by air is approximately 14,000 rubles, whereas by bus – 9,500 rubles.

In addition, more people are willing to take trips across Primorsky Krai. Local tour operators offer a variety of weekend tours to waterfalls, cages, mountains and rivers.