Since the beginning of the year, the flow of foreign tourists to Russia has increased by 30 percent. Why did the exchange rate difference play into the hands of Russian tourism? Why do the British need Yekaterinburg? Why are the slopes of Sheregesh so much better than those in Austria? Roman Skory, Deputy Head of the Federal Tourism Agency, answered these and other questions to Lenta.ru.
Lenta.ru: Russians still cannot travel to Turkey and Egypt this year. Will they vacation in Russia?
Fast: Over the past six months, Russian and foreign resorts have ceased to be comparable in price. The exchange rate difference clearly set priorities: with the same service, it is more profitable to vacation in Russia.
It turns out that the crisis played into our hands here?
Everything worked into our favor here. Psychologically, a Russian keeps the exchange rate difference in his head. And this factor cannot but be taken into account when choosing a vacation spot. It seems like you weren’t planning to go to this Austria, but you look at the price and realize that... yes, I won’t go to Austria this year.
But people also go for another culture, another world, other people. How will Russia satisfy this interest?
We cannot satisfy this interest in any way. But we do not restrict Russians from traveling abroad - under no circumstances. We are simply talking about specific countries where it is unsafe. Security has become the number one issue in the last ten years. And this is not only our problem - it is a problem for the whole world.
Is it safe to vacation in Russia? In Europe you could walk at night without any problems. And in the Russian outback?
I believe that Russia is one of the safest countries for domestic tourism. I, my family, my friends now, on the contrary, have the feeling that it is unsafe to go out on the street in Germany, and it doesn’t matter in what city: the more central the city, the worse the situation. It's especially bad in Berlin. I will go out much more calmly at night in Tver than in Berlin.
And the situation is getting worse: the conflict has not been resolved, many refugees continue to behave, to put it mildly, inappropriately.
These fears are also reinforced by our federal channels, right?
Federal channels are primarily information, and everyone perceives it in their own way. Someone is reading between the lines. I'm talking about serious people who are capable of analyzing and making decisions regardless of what they heard. Many people sincerely decide not to go abroad. People say: look, if the conditions correspond to the usual European standard, I’d rather go on vacation with my family in Russia, spend less money and do it at home.
Is there any other way to force Russians to vacation in Russia?
We do not force you to vacation in Russia. We offer an alternative. When you force the Russians, they traditionally do the opposite. This factor cannot be ignored. It is necessary to create conditions under which they themselves will choose domestic tourism.
The infrastructural changes that have occurred in our country over the past three to four years have played a role.
Photo: Sergey Malgavko / RIA Novosti
Take, for example, the Pskov region. A large number of tourist mini-clusters have appeared there - quality hotels, modern services, a very good menu. A night's stay in a four-star hotel costs 1,000 rubles - you won't find this anywhere else.
Is it really the wallet that always decides?
Often he is the one who decides. But the quality of the ski lifts in Sheregesh is better than in Austria. And we are not exaggerating here. Hotels, ski lifts - everything is new there. And there you realize that you are standing on high-quality snow, descending along a long slope, and ascending on a quiet and modern ski lift.
And it makes no difference whether you are in Russia or Austria...
Exactly. But besides, we are a little disingenuous when we say that everyone knows a foreign language. In the country, only 15 percent have foreign passports. Of these 15 percent, 10 percent actively traveled before 2014. That is, outbound tourism amounted to no more than 15 million people.
Yes, and now the number of tourists has decreased even more.
Yes, the drop is significant. Instead of 15 million, there are now about 7 million, because the main destinations where the “inexpensive” tourist traveled have disappeared. And now he will not travel abroad. Why should he go somewhere if we have all this?
We have Kavminvody. It is clear that all efforts are aimed at reviving the best traditions of the Soviet resort; time and money are needed to modernize old sanatorium and resort complexes. This cannot be done in one day.
The system of spa, professional treatment and health prevention are completely different things. If we start talking about this, the Russians will understand it. Foreigners will understand this too. It's one thing to go to a spa resort where they just pat you on the back or take uncontrollable baths. And it’s a completely different matter when medical services are provided every day for 21 days.
Are there more European tourists in Russia due to exchange rate differences?
The number of European tourists has increased by 30 percent - these are figures from the beginning of the year. And most importantly, this growth concerns not St. Petersburg and Moscow, but the regions. The foreign tourist flow to Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk has increased.
And who is going there?
Tourists from Germany, Great Britain and the USA. If you decide to vacation in Russia, you don’t have to go to Moscow. In Yekaterinburg there are five-star hotels and quality food.
Many Europeans want to see old factories, of which there are almost none left in Europe. Why? It's all about a pragmatic approach. Europeans are building new factories on the site of old ones, and we are building nearby. Until yesterday, the Demidov plant in Nizhny Tagil was working. And if they had not closed it by a strong-willed decision, it would have continued to work.
And these open-air monuments are of great value for a narrow, but nevertheless large area of industrial tourism. Wealthy Americans and Europeans want to see this live, and we can show it to them.
Is this an attempt to make money on backwardness?
This is an attempt to make money on unique artifacts that, by the will of fate, remained with us and were not destroyed.
Why are you sure that foreigners will come to Russia en masse?
If we analyze, a good example for us is China. Over the past ten years, 100 million Chinese have traveled around the world every year. During this time, the average professional tourist has already traveled around the globe. He saw the main attractions and compared different cultures. What's next? It seems to him that Moscow, Paris and London are similar to each other. Yes, there are differences, but for him they are insignificant. Why should he continue to travel? He needs emotions. So that he says “wow!” Where can you get new experiences? I think only in unique places like the valley of geysers, volcanoes, and the wild nature of Kamchatka. And Russia can provide him with all this.
But all these trips are extremely expensive.
To reduce the cost, you need to increase the flow. Everyone has simply forgotten what Hurghada was like at the very beginning. Initially it is a military facility and a military airport. First there was one flight, then a second, then they achieved a dual purpose airport. Then they launched a charter. Then there were so many charters that the cost became minimal. This happened only due to mass participation.
In this regard, Kamchatka is not a mass product. But nothing prevents us from turning it into a mass one. She has huge potential for development. Between two and three million people sail past Kamchatka to northern Alaska on cruise ships from Southeast Asia, Korea and the United States. Why don't we accept them? There is a port. We need a quay wall and infrastructure that can accommodate tourists at a decent level. That’s why we propose to Kamchatka to build and develop all this.
Kamchatka is like Iceland.
Only in our country there are many points that can and should be turned into places of tourist attraction. Unique places - from the geographical location and climate to the bears, of which there are more than inhabitants. There are a lot of things for which Russians would go there, if there were conditions there. Whether we like it or not, the average person is built like this: he is ready to go anywhere, but he needs comfort. He wants to live in four stars. And there aren't even three. We need to attract tourists.
How are the Scandinavians?
The Scandinavians have learned to sell their region. You see Japanese, Americans, Chinese, and British there.
Why don’t we have them in Karelia, in the Arkhangelsk or Murmansk regions?
Well, let's start with the fact that we do not sell ourselves at all yet in the sense in which Europeans and Americans have learned to sell themselves. Americans are generally the best sellers, but they do not position tourism or actively talk about it. However, they have created an effective domestic tourism infrastructure. They made it so that when an American thinks about relaxing, first of all he thinks about his country. Domestic tourism is a priority for Americans. Americans earn $174 billion a year from tourism - these numbers are astounding.
Should we expect this in Russia? At least from Crimea?
Crimea already has a visit limit. There are many more Russians who want to go to Crimea than Crimea can accommodate. Now the problem is the opposite: there is a good climate, a good resort, good beaches, but there are no hotels, and the infrastructure, including roads and restaurants, does not meet the expected quality.
How to prepare a tourist for these conditions?
There is no need to prepare anyone - everyone understands perfectly well that Moscow was not built right away. We want a lot from Crimea in a very short time. It doesn't happen that way.
Why did people go to Crimea?
There was nostalgia. There was a failure - a huge number of people stopped perceiving Crimea as their territory and stopped going there on vacation, although there were no restrictions. There was no border, but people did not travel. At that time, a maximum of one million people vacationed in Crimea. And now there are already five million of them.
Can Crimea live solely on tourism?
Crimea can become a good example, a large pilot project that will show all other regions that it is possible to live off tourism. Taking into account the geographical location, climate and historical heritage, this is the best region for local perception. Crimea is a special story.
The history of relations between visiting officials and the Kaliningrad region has long shown that “cool” attitudes towards their duties or hobbies for their personal 
interests to the detriment of our region - puts an end to the careers of such “enterprising” guys.
Roman Petrovich Skory, before arriving in the Kaliningrad region, worked as a chief adviser in the State Duma apparatus. An average specialist, of which there are many in the State Duma.
A year and a half has passed. Roman Petrovich Skory, has already managed to be Deputy Prime Minister 
on domestic policy. Then, as Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, he oversaw the committee for preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the Kaliningrad region. Even a year ago I managed to give up everything and go to my home in Moscow, but then, having come to my senses, I returned with the firm intention of working.
But the conversation will not be about failures in career growth, and not about all sorts of his mistakes at work in the Government of the Kaliningrad region, but about financial successes that did not affect the faded 
work field.
From the income statement:
In 2011, Skory earned 1,700,000 rubles, and his wife earned 13,000 rubles.
Has 6 (six) plots of land in Bolshoye Isakovo, 2 (two) apartments in Spain, land
plot in Spain.
An apartment in Moscow (shared with his wife), 10 (ten) bank accounts, and in the name of his wife - 4 (four) bank accounts, and his wife also has 8 (eight) blocks of shares in various companies (OJSC).
There is also a decent mansion in Kaliningrad, in the famous prestigious area, on the street. Prague.
And look what a huge house Roman Skory is currently building in Bolshoye Isakovo 
(Gurievsky district), with a huge fenced-off area, with a large guest house, and all this splendor on the shore of a beautiful lake.
The question is, how is it possible for a simple Moscow official of average standing, who has not been involved in business, to earn such numerous real estate in the Kaliningrad region and abroad in just one year? 
How long will this Moscow rogue remain in the Government of the Kaliningrad Region? When will he be asked to leave leadership positions?
There is an assumption that many Moscow and Kaliningrad businessmen are already expressing their dissatisfaction, according to some “secret” agreements with Roman Skory, regarding the “investments” made in the future football championship. They say they received the money, but the promises were not fulfilled.
Maybe it's time for law enforcement agencies to take an interest in his savings and affairs?
Roman Skory, who left the post of deputy head of Rostourism a week ago, may soon be appointed head of the National Tourism Union. The organization created by the state is engaged in the development of projects to promote Russian regions and attract investors to them. Among the projects already implemented by the union are patriotic trips for students to Bulgaria and a bicycle ride organized for the Swiss along the Moscow-Beijing route.
The head of the National Tourism Union (NTU) will be ex-deputy head of Rostourism Roman Skory, two sources in the tourism market told Kommersant. According to one of them, the organization may receive significant funding from government agencies in the future. Kommersant’s interlocutor did not specify exactly in what volume and quality. Mr. Skory himself confirmed that the possibility of his appointment is being considered. He declined to comment in more detail, citing the fact that the issue has not yet been finally resolved.
Roman Skory worked as deputy head of Rostourism Oleg Safonov for two and a half years: he was appointed in February 2015 and removed due to a transfer to a new job on November 22 of this year. In the department, the official supervised, in particular, issues of interaction with the regions. Mr. Skory came to work at Rostourism from the Ministry of Culture, where for several years he served as an adviser to Minister Vladimir Medinsky. In 2010–2012, Mr. Skory was Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Kaliningrad Region. He also held various positions in the State Duma apparatus.
NTS, according to Kartoteka.ru, was registered back in March 2015. Its founders were the Open Sea educational program fund, created in 2014 with the support of the Russian State Library, the State Film Actor Theater, the Russian State Academic Drama Theater named after. A. S. Pushkin and ANO “Agency for the Development of Internal Tourism”. The latter is the operator of the educational patriotic program “Dear Victories” organized by the Ministry of Culture. Among the founders of the agency are structures subordinate to the Ministry of Culture, the Moscow government and the Russian Military Historical Society founded by decree of Vladimir Putin in 2012. Now the head of the NTS is occupied by Alexander German. He refused to comment on the change of leadership and the future fate of the union.
It was not possible to contact Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who oversees the tourism sector in the government, yesterday. Rostourism representative Svetlana Sergeeva explained that NTS has nothing to do with the agency, and the department does not have information about its activities.
Meanwhile, the presentation posted on the official website of the NTS indicates that the union was created with the support of Rostourism. Its main tasks are to support and promote Russian regions as tourist destinations, provide conditions for attracting investors to the regions, participate in tourism infrastructure development projects and assist in the implementation of events and programs for tourism development in the country. Currently, the NTS portfolio includes several small projects, including the organization of patriotic trips for students and schoolchildren to Bulgaria and the Moscow-Beijing bike ride for Swiss cyclists.
Participants in the tourism market were not previously familiar with the activities of the NTS. Thus, according to the representative of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry Irina Tyurina, she knows about the existence of the organization, but does not have information about its members and the tasks assigned to it. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia told Kommersant the same thing.
Alexandra Mertsalova
