ST. PETERSBURG, October 13. /TASS/. The tourist flow to Russia from the nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) doubled in the first half of 2023 to more than 2 mln travelers, Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Dmitry Volvach said at the International Tourism Forum Travel Hub 'Commonwealth'.

Some 2.5 mln Russian tourists visited CIS countries in 1H 2023, which is 1.5 times higher than in the same period last year, he said in a video address to participants of the forum. "The flow of tourists to Russia from the countries of the Commonwealth is growing as well. More than 2 mln tourists from CIS countries visited Russia in January-June 2023, which is also two times higher than last year," he said.

"The stable development of international tourist trips between [CIS] countries" is observed now, Volvach said, adding that it is facilitated by mutual visa-free travel, expansion of air, railway and highway service. The lack of language barrier also plays a special role, he noted.