Prospects of Russian Tourism in Greece

Abstract

Greece is very attractive country for Russian tourists. Outbound flow from Russia to Greece is constantly growing. Problems of the Russian economy, decline in purchasing, the devaluation of the national currency, the European Union sanctions have led to a great decrease in demand for tourism in Russia. In this context, Greece is one of the potential leaders for Russian tourists. This article describes the main characteristics of Russian tourists, their preferences, with recommendations to improve the attractiveness of Greece, the necessary efforts to retain tourists from Russia. Russian tourists are the main source of income for mass-tourists destinations. Such countries as Turkey and Egypt make huge efforts to maintain and increase the amount of Russian tourists. Greece needs to learn from their experience. The main problem is the price and visa formalities. It is necessary to identify the correct price segment of Russian tourists and to simplify the entry procedure.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s2p536