Current and future prospects of R ussian Tourism Law

1. Current and future prospects of Russian Tourism Law Ministry for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation FEDERAL AGENCY FOR TOURISM (Rostourism) Dr. Evgeny Pisarevsky Deputy head of Rostourism 22nd IFFTA Conference Rome, September 2, 2010

2. Structure 1. Novels of the Russian legislation(2008-2010) and prospects of its development. International co-operation intourism sphere. 2. Legal regulation of cultural and religious tourism.

3. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2008 A special Law on organizing of the Olympic Games in 2014 in Sochi was adopted. In accordance with the Law, granting of hotel servicesin the city of Sochi during the period from July 1, 2011 till December 31, 2016 is allowed, provided the hotel has an appropriate certificate it is awarded to it according to system of classification of hotels. During the period of the Olympic games foreign citizens, taking part in organization and holding of the Olympic games, carry out entrance to the Russian Federation territory on the basis of valid identification documents, Olympic identity card and accreditation without visa procurement.

4. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation Law on organizing of the Olympic Games The Government of the Russian Federation has the right to regulate of the prices for entrance tickets, allowing visiting sports events and Olympic Games ceremonies, and the cost of hotel service within the Krasnodar Territory during the period from January 1, 2013 till July 1, 2014.

5. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2009 Changes are acceptedto the Federal Law «On bases of tourist activities in the Russian Federation», which have increased financial security of tour operators: • 500 thousands rubles (13000 Euro) for tour operators carrying out activity in domestic tourism activities; • 10 millions rubles (257 000 Euro) for tour operators carrying out activity in inbound tourism; • 30, 60, 100 millions rubles (770 000 / 1 540 000 / 2 570 000) for tour operators carrying out activity in outbound tourism (depends on the tourist product being realized).

6. Data on quantity of the tour operators included in the Unified federal register of tour operators (August, 20th 2010)

7. Structure of the Unified federal register of tour operators depending on sphere of activity

8. Structure of the Unified federal register of International tour operators (depending on the size of financial security)

9. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2009 Addendums was adopted the Federal law «On the General Principles of the Organization of Local Authority in the Russian Federation», which established powers of the municipality authorities to provide conditions for tourism development.

10. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2009 The Government of the Russian Federation introduced visa-free procedure for stay of foreign and stateless citizens within the Russian Federation territory, coming into the Russian Federation on board ferries for tourist purposes. Tourist group members may stay within the territory of the Russian Federation in the course of 72 hours without a visa, provided they sojourn on board a ferry or at another place specified in the group tourist programme.

11. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation Ports, via which entry of foreign citizens into the Russian Federation territory on board ferries is allowed: • Saint Petersburg • Vladivostok • Vyborg • Kaliningrad • Korsakov • Novorossiysk • Sochi

12. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2010 The Government of the Russian Federation approved the Concept of federal targeting programme «Development of domestic and inbound tourism in Russia» (2011-2016). About 332 billion rubles (851 million Euro) are expected to be appropriated for implementation of the Concept. 102 billions rubles will be appropriated from the federal budget resources.

13. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2010 The Government of the Russian Federation adopted degree «On a granting of the assistance for the returning to the Russian Federation of russian citizens, who found themselves in the territory of a foreign state without means of support.

14. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation On a granting of the assistance for the returning to the Russian Federation of Russian citizens Assistance in coming back into Russian Federation shall be rendered by diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Russian Federation to citizens of the Russian Federation, who happened to be in the territory of a foreign state without means of support, in exceptional cases. • Exceptional cases mean situations when coming of Russian Federation citizens back into the Russian Federation territory will assist in elimination of immediate threat to their life.

15. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation In 2010 Ministry for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation approved Procedure for classification of tourist industry facilities, including hotels and other accommodation means, alpine skiing tracks and beaches.

16. Current condition of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation Participants of the classification: • Ministry for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation; • Rostourism; • government executive bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation; • certified organizations; • hotels, alpine skiing tracks, beaches.

17. Perspectives of development of legislation on tourist activities in the Russian Federation At present: • Procedure for accreditation of organizations, doing classification, which will be done by government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, is being prepared; • amendments to Federal law «About general principles of organization of legislative (representative) and executive state government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation», which govern the powers of executive government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation with respect to creation of conditions for tourism development, are being prepared.

18. The international activity in tourism sphere In 2009: • Agreement about intermutual traveling was signed between the Russian Federation and the State of Israel. • Citizens of the state of one Party may enter, leave, transit and stay 90 days within the territory of the state of the other Party without a visa in the course of the period of 180 days.

19. International activities in the field of tourism In 2010: • Agreement about intermutual traveling was signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey. • Citizens of the state of one Party may enter, leave, transit and stay within the territory of the state of the other Party without a visa, provided the duration of their continuous stay within the territory the state does not exceed 30 days from the date of entry.

20. International activities in the field of tourism It is planned to: • Establish visa-free exchange with the European Union; • Establish visa-free entry for football fans for the period of holding world soccer championship in 2018 (provided Russia wins the right to host the event).

21. 2. Legal regulation of cultural and religious tourism

22. Cultural tourism • One of the popular types of tourism is cultural tourism. • Cultural tourism is a social-and-economical phenomenon, rest of the population in the course of traveling outside the permanent place of residence in order to perceive the world around, the process of getting familiar with the features of history, way of life and places of interest of a certain city or town, country or region. • Cultural tourism is a way of enhancement of educational and cultural level of Russians, education of the rising generation in the spirit of patriotism and love to their home country and history of their fatherland.

23. Cultural tourism • UNESCO considers tourism as one of the major factors of cultural and humanitarian development contributing to preservation of peace and nation rapprochement by «dialoguing between the cultures». • The Russian Federation possess a high tourist-recreation potential: unique natural and recreational resources, national and world cultural and historic heritage objects are concentrated within its territory, highly important economical, sports and cultural events take place here.

24. Cultural tourism • Natural riches of Russia in a world ratingare evaluated as holding the fifth place, and cultural heritage objects – as holding the ninth. • History-and-cultural heritage of Russia is the most important competitive advantage of the country's tourist industry. • In 2009 the number of tourists traveling with cultural purposes was some 7.1 million people.

25. Religious tourism and pilgrimage • One of the popular types of cultural tourism is religious tourism. • The main purpose of religious tourism is to get knowledge of the holy places, life of men of God, architecture and church art. • All these things are told during an excursion, which is most important traveling element for a tourist.

26. Religious tourism and pilgrimage • Pilgrimage implies ministering, other religious acts and ceremonies in hieratic buildings and at other places and locations specially designated for ministering, pray and religious gatherings and religious devotion. • The difference between religious tourism and pilgrimage is that in the course of religious tourism people only get to know religion and the holy places, while in the course of pilgrimage ministering and religious hyperdoulia to sacred things take place.

27. Religious tourism and pilgrimage • Orthodox pilgrimage is a part of the religious life of a believer. • In the course of pilgrimage the main important thing is praying and not external performance of actions, but the mood reigning in the heart, renovation of the soul, which happens to an Orthodox Christian. • Travelling to pilgrimage centers was always perceived as a spiritual and physical feat. That is why people often went for hyperdoulia on foot.

28. Religious tourism and pilgrimage • Russian Orthodox pilgrimage originates from the first centuries of Christianity spread within the territory of the Ancient Russia, i.e. as early as 9-10 centuries. Therefore, it is older than 1,000 years. • The words «pilgrimage» and «pilgrim» were used as the earliest words to identify pilgrimage and names of the participant of this process. These words are found in the works of the Fathers of the Church, theological and ecclesiastical-historical literature. As a rule, a pilgrim is a person, who all his/her life devoted to visiting holy places, leaving all other activities.

29. Religious tourism and pilgrimage • Statistics of religious tourism and Orthodox pilgrimage; • 12 tour operators carry out activitysphereof Orthodox pilgrimage; • Religious tourism accounts for 70% of the domestic tourist flow (20 million people); • Domestic pilgrimage flow makes up 3 million people; • 100 thousand people travel abroad for pilgrimage purposes.

30. Religious tourism and pilgrimage • Rostourism also actively assists in development of pilgrimage of Russian Muslims to sacred sites in Saudi Arabia. • This direction is covered by seven Russian tour operators. • In 2009 23,500 people visited Saudi Arabia with the help of tour operators.

31. Cultural and religious tourism Strategy of social and economical development of Siberia till 2020 • In the Irkutsk Region it is planed to organize Baikal tourist-and-recreational zone, which will be aimed at development of therapeutic, cultural-informative, adventure, business, ethnographical, religious, ecological and other types of tourism. Strategy of social and economical development of the Far East and Baikal Region till 2025 • State of the art year-round health resorts and tourist complexes oriented at development of therapeutic, cultural-and-informative, adventure, business, ethnographical, religious and ecological types of tourism will be built.

32. Cultural and religious tourism The objectives of the Government of the Russian Federation: Concept of long term social and economical development till 2020 • Assist in development of cultural-informative tourism, guarantee complex approach to preservation of cultural and historic heritage and historical settlement appearance. Main areas of activities of the Government of Russia till 2012 • Improve regulatory and legislative basis for developing of culturally informative tourism, create conditions for extension of tourist and service infrastructure in the historical and cultural areas of cities and towns and other Russian territories, assist in rural tourism development.

33. Cultural and religious tourism The objectives of the Government of the Russian Federation: • Admit to activities connected with culturally informative and religious tourism tour operators, having financial provision and entered into the Register; • Assist in insuring the tourists; • Assist in providing safety of tourists.

34. Thank you for your attention