Global study of hoteliers by Hotels.com underlines Russia's status as the world's fifth biggest travel market
TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2013 /CNW/ - Fuelled by its growing middle class and rising spending power, Russia is experiencing a travel boom like never before, according to research by Hotels.com®, which today publishes its Russian International Travel Monitor (RITM). Almost half (49 per cent) of hoteliers worldwide have seen a rise in Russian guests in the last year, with 54 per cent of those hoteliers seeing bookings grow by more than 10 per cent or more.
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Russia is now the world's second-fastest growing outbound travel market in terms of spend, up 32 per cent in 2012 and more than doubling since 2005. The RITM examines how hoteliers are reacting to this rapid growth, which last year saw Russians spend $43 billion on travel abroad, making Russia the fifth biggest outbound travel market globally.[1]
In 2012, 35.7 million tourists from Russia took a foreign trip, up from just 7.7 million in 2006.[2] The country has become a top performing growth market for many destinations and international outbound travel is forecast to grow by 7.5 per cent per year on average to 2017. However, with a population of more than 140 million, there is still a huge untapped market for foreign travel that will create demand for different types of holiday and new destinations that are bound to make an impact on the pattern of world tourism.
Johan Svanstrom, president of the Hotels.com brand said: "The meteoric rise of Russia's outbound travel market is providing a welcome boost to hoteliers worldwide, with Russians among the highest spenders on hotel rooms globally. The rising size and spending power of middle class Russian travellers is a key driver behind this growth. Standing 104 million strong today, the group is set to account for 86 per cent of the country's population by 2020, with a combined spending power of $1.3 trillion.[3]
Many hoteliers also supported this fact as 43 per cent said that Russians are now spending more money on their travels. Moreover, they are becoming more confident and independent, with improved foreign language skills. More than half (53 per cent) already book their accommodation online with only 32 per cent opting for a traditional travel agent.
With 92 per cent of the hoteliers surveyed by Hotels.com expecting the volume of Russian visitors to increase over the next three years, many are making changes to deliver a warmer welcome. Almost a third (32 per cent) of hoteliers have already started to offer Russian TV channels while more than a fifth (23 per cent) have hired Russian speaking staff, with a further 12 per cent planning to do so.
To make sure that Russian guests have a more relaxing stay, 15 per cent of hoteliers plan to offer translated welcome materials, in addition to the 20 per cent that already do so, and a further 15 per cent plan to start providing translated travel and tourism guides. One in 10 hoteliers (11 per cent) plans to start serving Russian food.
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- Organisation mondiale du tourisme, avril 2013 : http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/tsen_0.pdf
- European Travel Commission: European Tourism 2013: Trends and Prospects
- Nielsen, March 2013: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/a-rising-middle-class-will-fuel-growth-in-russia.html
About Hotels.com®
Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca) is a leading online accommodation booking brand. Through the Expedia, Inc. global network of websites, Hotels.com, LP connects travellers with more than 240,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Hotels.com, LP benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, obtaining the best rates for its customers, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. There are more than 7 million Guest Reviews on the websites from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking. Through Hotels.com, LP's industry-leading loyalty program Welcome Rewards™, customers can earn a free* night for every 10 nights stayed at more than 90,000 hotels. Under its Best Price Guarantee†, if a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com, LP will refund the difference. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centers. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded at http://www.hotels.com/deals/mobile_app/ enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals. Hotels.com publishes an award-winning twice-yearly review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™, which is now produced in 31 individual country editions, with North American data available at http://www.hotel-price-index.com. Follow Hotels.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Hotels.comCA, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/hotelsdotcomca and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/hotelsdotcom. More Hotels.com news is available at: http://press.hotels.com/en-ca/. Hotels.com, LP is part of Expedia, Inc., the largest online travel company in the world with an extensive portfolio that includes some of the world's best-known brands.
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*Your free night is good at any Welcome Rewards eligible property. The maximum value of your free night is the average daily rate of your ten (10) nights. Your free night does not include taxes and fees.
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SOURCE: Hotels.com
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