Russia sees increase in number of Azerbaijani tourists

10 December 2019 15:28 (UTC+04:00)

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By Ofeliya Afandiyeva

The number of Azerbaijanis visiting Russia increased by 19,000 persons to reach 684,000 in the period of January-September 2019, Russian-based Turstat analytical agency has reported.

Thus, Azerbaijan has ranked fourth for the number of tourists visiting Russia in this period, according to Turstat.

The other nine countries that made it to the top ten for the number of visits to Russia are: Ukraine (5,944,000), Kazakhstan (2,716,000), China (1,594,000), Finland (681,000), Germany (592,000), Poland (497,000), Armenia (420,000) and Estonia (383,000).

In general, the number of tourists visiting Russia in the first nine months of 2019, amounted to 19.6 million, which is the same as in the previous year.

It should be noted that after hosting 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Russian Federation experienced double-digit growth in tourist spending and a 10 percent boost in visitors. The country also saw an influx of Chinese tourists following a change in Visa procedures. (As of July 2019, an additional 53 nations can use a new e-visa online program, ensuring still more growth in the coming months.)

Meanwhile, the top visited countries (visitors) up-to-date in 2019 were: France (86.9 million), Spain (81.8 million), US (76.9 million), China (60.7 million), Italy (58.3 million), Mexico (39.3 million), United Kingdom (37.7 million), Turkey (37.6 million), Germany (37.5 million), Thailand (35.4 million).