"A handy Russian Billionaire..."

Breaking news today of the tie up between TUI and Russian tycoon Alexei Mordashov to ease the brand into the ever growing Russian marketplace...

Breakingtravelnews.com report that TUI AG has confirmed it will move into the Russian travel market, as a part of a new $60 million joint venture with billionaire Alexei Mordashov.

In partnership with Mr Mordashov’s S-Group, the German travel giant will establish 200 owned and franchised travel agencies in Russia and Ukraine over the next three years.

The venture will control up to ten per cent of the Russian travel market by 2013, according to TUI, with over twenty holiday destinations on offer.

Destinations on offer will include trips to Cyprus, a first for the Russian market.

“Today, Russia is one of the top growth markets for travel,” explained Michael Frenzel, TUI’s chief executive officer.

“Russian consumers are becoming more and more sophisticated and selective.”

TUI AG expects Russia to become Europe’s fourth-largest travel market by 2020, Mr Frenzel confirmed..."

It is good to see that despite the global financial crisis, it is still possible to keep developing within the tourism industry, and to keep looking for a brighter future...

For more on this story, please go to http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/tui-expands-into-russia-with-joint-venture/

Barticus.

"I need to get out of the cold..."

Dubai tourism set for Russian onslaught..

Rita Boustany, Editor-in-Chief of Aviamost, the most popular and widely circulated Russian language magazine in the Gulf, has said Dubai should expect 15% to 20% increase in tourist influx during the November Russian holiday of this year compared to the same period in 2008...

Dubai’s tourism industry is bracing itself for a large number of Russian tourists as nearly 10,000 to 15,000 who are expected to arrive in the city during the November holiday period. According to the Russian tour operators Dubai hotels lowered their room rates by the end of 2008 and the trend continued till mid 2009. As the room rates are still the same it has helped Russian operators to sell Dubai well amid economic crisis....

To hear more follow http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/33863-Influx-of-Russian-tourists-to-enhance-Dubai%E2%80%99s-tourism-industry

Barticus.

"Simples!" (Aleksandr Orlov, Meerkat).

Despite the global view that Russia has an abundance of ready cash to burn thanks primarily to it's ever growing oil and energy markets, tourism numbers are being affected by the global recession as bad there as anywhere else....

So, what to do to generate the average Russians desire to spend money within the tourism industry?

The story at http://www.tourism-review.com/article/1904-great-potential-russian-regional-hotel-market follows the proposal to develop the hotel market in Russia on the back of the demands of the ever improving economy and amount of foreign investors flooding into the country, as most cities do not have a single hotel of international standard. This should see a growth in demand for all products within the sector and therefore be good news for all involved..

"Simples!" (Aleksandr Orlov, Meercat).

Barticus.