SHEREGESH VILLAGE /Kemerovo region/, April 5. /TASS/. Russians are no longer automatically going abroad for vacation, as more and more citizens are choosing to travel inside the country, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko said.

"Domestic tourism is growing. In 2023 it exceeded the pre-pandemic level and reached 78 million tourist trips, which is 21% more than last year. We, of course, need to build up the tourism infrastructure as quickly as possible in order to meet the growing demand of our citizens, who have come to like vacationing in our country. We broke the colonial dependence on tourism and vacationing in our country has become fashionable and popular," Chernyshenko said at a meeting on the development of tourism in the Kemerovo region and implementation of the national project "Tourism and Hospitality Industry."

In his address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin set the task of nearly doubling the domestic tourist flow in the country by 2030 - to 140 million people per year. He also said that region’s will receive support in growing their tourism infrastructure.

"I am sure that in Sheregesh will set the bar, and all other investors will follow. The intention of the governor [of the Kemerovo region Sergei Tsivilev] alone to enter the top five world ski resorts by 2030 is a very ambitious goal. We should all mobilize and help in reaching this ambitious goal," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The Sheregesh ski resort is a popular destination in Siberia. Growing the resort is part of the Kemerovo region’s economic development plan through 2024, approved in early March by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. It provides for the allocation of 3.2 billion rubles ($34.8 mln) from the budget for the implementation of infrastructure projects in Sheregesh - construction of roads, upgrade of utility networks. This will make it possible to build new hotels and ski slopes to increase tourist flow.