SOCHI, November 22. /TASS/. Providing grants to Russian airline companies may facilitate the tourist inflow growth, tourism industry experts told TASS during the first All-Russian Congress of Tour Operators that is taking place in Sochi on November 21-24.

Executive Director of the Mir Bez Granits (or World Without Frontiers) tourist association Svetlana Pyatikhatka noted that grants for airlines conducting incoming flights should be considered in order to develop inbound tourism in Russia’s regions. According to Pyatikhatka, every regional tourism development program should have some specific aspects to woo Chinese tourists.

Akademservis tourist company Deputy General Director Alexander Kurnosov said in turn that there was no need to woo more Chinese tourists since China’s economy is sure to grow so the Chinese tourist inflow would increase as well. “We should return to the European market. Providing grants to the Russian airline companies conducting international flights might help drive up demand during the low season, and woo Western tourists, in particular,” Kurnosov elaborated.

Nevertheless, Chinese tourists still make the bulk of foreign tourists travelling to Russia, the market participants say. However, Asian tourists prefer Moscow and St. Petersburg over Russia’s Far Eastern regions easily reachable from Asian countries.