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Year of Russia Tourism in China to boost bilateral cooperation

Rosturizm was established in 2004

BEIJING, March 22 (Itar-Tass) — The events of the Year of Russian Tourism in China will make it possible to unlock the potential for the two countries’ cooperation in the sphere of tourism, deputy head of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency (Rosturizm) Grigory Sarishvili said here on Thursday. RF Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov will take part in the official opening ceremony of the Year of the Russian Tourism on March 23.

“This event is held for the first time not only in the practice of Russian-Chinese cooperation, but also in the world,” Sarishvili said. He added that the two countries have developed an effective mechanism of interaction between the bodies of state authority in the field of tourism.

“Given the potential of our countries, together with our Chinese colleagues we see major prospects for building up mutual tourist flows,” he stressed. At the same time, the deputy head of the Federal Tourism Agency drew attention to the importance of the creation of the necessary infrastructure for the further development of many facilities.

Speaking about the plans of work during the Year of Russian Tourism in China, Grigory Sarishvili pointed out that more than 100 events will be held at the federal and regional levels. They include, among others, the presentation of the 2014 Winter Sochi Olympics, a series of regional exhibitions, as well as the Beijing – Moscow motor rally. For Chinese journalists, he added, a press tour of Russia’s regions will be organised.

Rosturizm was established in 2004. The main purpose of the Agency is the development of the state policy in the sphere of tourism and its fulfilment. The principal aims of Federal Agency are: ensuring state control of the tourism activities; legal regulation in this field; promoting tourism on the domestic and international markets; establishing favourable conditions for the development of the tourism infrastructure and for increasing the quality of tourism services; international cooperation in the tourism sphere.

“We are confident that these events will give a new impetus to Russian-Chinese cooperation in the field of tourism and raise it to a new level. They are designed to more broadly present to each other the richest resources of Russia and China, and substantially increase the mutual tourist flows,” said the deputy head of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency. “There is no doubt that the events of the Years of Tourism will contribute to the expansion of bilateral humanitarian and economic relations, strengthening of friendship between our peoples and the positive development of Russian-Chinese relations in general,” the official stressed.

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