MOSCOW, November 15 /TASS/.

Russia wants to become the world’s third most popular tourist destination, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Oleg Safonov, the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism), stated at a news conference held at TASS on Tuesday.

"We were among the 10 most visited countries last year. Perhaps, we need to make it into the top three this time," Safonov stressed. "We have taken on an ambitious task, which we are going to fulfill by using our tourist brand," Safonov added.

"It is not an easy task," he noted. "Being in the top ten of the most visited countries is an extraordinary result. However, we understand that competition in this market is tough and we need to work seriously in order to fulfill this goal," Safonov told TASS.

When asked how long it would take to reach this objective, Safonov told journalists that he would not set any timeframes. "We need to define this strategic mission and act promptly to achieve this goal," the tourism agency chief said.

He added that to resolve this task Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism had submitted a proposal to the Russian government to launch a project called "Inbound tourism in Russia."

"This idea has been supported. We are also happy with the decision to make ‘Inbound Tourism in Russia’ part of the ‘International Cooperation and Export’ global project," Safonov concluded.