Turkey, Russia sign tourism action plan

MOSCOW - Anadolu Agency

Turkey is the top destination for Russian tourists, Russian tourism authorities say.

Turkey has signed a new tourism agreement with Russia which will see the two countries run joint projects over the next two years.

Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry signed a joint action plan with the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism on March 16 to encourage cooperation between 2014 and 2016.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Undersecretary Özgür Özaslan and Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (ROSTURIZM) Chairman Aleksandr Rodkov announced the deal on the sidelines of the “Intourmarket 2014 Moscow: International Trade Fair for Travel and Tourism.”

The joint action plan aims to encourage and boost tourist traffic between Turkey and Russia, set up a joint working group, increase travel safety and comfort and further develop cooperation in international organizations. As part of the new plan, a forum will be hosted in Turkey later this year to gather investors from both countries.

According to ROSTURIZM statistics for 2013, Turkey is the top holiday destination for Russian people.

Rodkov said the number of Russian tourists traveling to Turkey exceeded 4 million in 2013, “a 26 percent increase in one year.”“Likewise, 2013 saw a 28 percent rise when it comes to the number of Turkish tourists, which amounted to over 385,000,” he said.