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Netherlands attracted 200,000 Russian tourists in 2013

The number of Russian citizens vacationing in the Netherlands increased due to the crossover Russia-Netherlands year in 2013 with the facilitated visa regimes - experts

Amsterdam State Museum re-opened after reconstruction EPA/ITAR-TASS/Robin Utrecht

Amsterdam State Museum re-opened after reconstruction

© EPA/ITAR-TASS/Robin Utrecht

THE HAGUE, January 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The Netherlands attracted over 200,000 Russian tourists in 2013, a 20% increase from the previous year, the Netherlands Board for Tourism and Conventions reported on Monday.

All in all, the number of tourists to the Netherlands increased by 4% in 2013 to reach the record 12.7 million.

The main events that drew attention last year were the opening of the Amsterdam State Museum after the reconstruction and the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Amsterdam canals. The Keukenhoff Gardens, the Van Gogh Museum and the Madame Tussaud Museum were also tourist attractions.

Experts hold that the number of Russian citizens vacationing in the Netherlands increased also due to the crossover Russia-Netherlands year in 2013 with the facilitated visa regimes.

Russian ambassador to The Hague Roman Kolodkin told Itar-Tass earlier that, given mutual consent, this practice might continue. The Dutch side had widely used the opportunities offered. “We have issued some 50,000 visas within the year, with ten percent of them under the facilitated procedure,” the ambassador said.

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