20 Russia


More accessible than ever, Russia invites visitors to explore its unique attractions


W


hile the fall of commu- nism in 1989 opened the floodgates for


Russian tourists to explore the world freely for the first time in 70 years, inbound tour- ism to the country failed to flourish under the weight of anachronistic visa restrictions and Soviet-era bureaucracy through much of the 1990s.


Yet, since the turn of the century, tourism arrivals to Russia have grown consider- ably, as the country entered a new era of economic prosperity and many of the ghosts of the communist era were laid to rest. Thirty-day visas are now much more readily available for tourists looking to explore this fascinating country, although all foreign-


RUSSIA Ñ MALDIVES | DESTINATION


ers must apply for their visa in advance and there is no guaran- tee it will be granted. Citizens of certain countries can enter Russia under a visa waiver scheme, although no Middle East countries currently fall into this category. Still, for the majority allowed to enter Russia, the attractions are plentiful. Moscow's herit- age and identity as the seat of government for the world's former second superpower is showcased by the grand scale of its architecture and the countless monuments located in the city centre. While Red Square and the Kremlin pre-date the Russian Revolution, monuments such as the Victory Memorial commem- orating the Great Patriotic War (WWII) on Poklonnaja Mountain showcase the grand ambition of Soviet-era Russia.


Once the seat of power for tsarist Russia, St Petersburg ranks as one of Russia's most sophisti- cated and architecturally impres- sive cities, with wide tree-lined boulevards complemented by cafŽs, restaurants and hotels. One of the city's key tourist attractions is the State Hermit- age Museum, which boasts an incredible three million artworks


Once the seat of power for Tsarist Russia, St Petersburg ranks as one of Russia's most sophisticated and architecturally impressive cities


Russia at Arabian Travel Market St Petersburg Tourism Department EU642


Maldives W


hite sandy beaches, stunning atolls, coral reefs, five-star resorts and some of the world's best dive sites mark the Maldives as a favourite destination for international holidaymakers. This fact is borne out by the record number of tourism arriv- als to the tiny island nation in 2010. Close to 792,000 tourists visited the Maldives last year, marking a 20 percent increase on the 685,000 arrivals in 2009. Tourism is a vital industry for


the Maldives, accounting for more than a third of the coun- try's entire GDP.


Tourists from China and the


UK dominated the 2010 figures, with 15 percent and 14 percent of the total number of arriv- als, while total occupancy rates topped 76 percent up from 72 percent the year prior. Official statistics also showed that visitors stayed 5.98 million


Troon Golf is developing a floating golf course, with each section linked together by underwater tunnels


nights in the Maldives in 2010 Ð up 16.3 percent compared with 2009. The country is on track to record another year of growth in 2011. The latest results for this year showed more than 246,000 tourists visited the


Maldives in the first quarter, marking a 12.3 percent increase compared with the previous corresponding period in 2010. The success came even despite the Maldivian govern- ment's decision to implement an


Maldives Arabia at Arabian Travel Market Maldives Tourism Promotion Board AS610


Moscow also plays host to some of the most impressive Christian monuments in Europe, with St Basil's Cathedral, The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the 16th


century Noyode-


vichy Convent ranking among the highlights.


in its collection. Not surpris- ingly, only a select few are ever displayed at one time, despite the fact the Hermitage is spread across six buildings. An architectural highlight of the Hermitage is the Winter Palace, which is the former


home of Russia's tsars and was built in the 18th


century.


Other attractions in the vicinity include the St. Isaac's Square, which is home to the impressive St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the major shopping boule- vard of Prospekt Nevsky, which locals readily liken to Paris' Champs-ƒlysŽes. Another historical highlight


of St Petersburg is the St Peter and St Paul's Fortress, which was built in 1703 to protect the city from Swedish invaders. The fortress went on to become a prison which at one point counted a host of communist giants among its inmates, from Trotsky and Gorky to Dostoevsky.


The nearby Peter and Paul's Cathedral, which ranks as the tallest building in the city, is also known as the final resting place for Russia's Tsars.


Russia Fact File


The Russian Federation is 17,098,242 square kilometres in size, making it the largest country in the world, nearly double the size of the United States


Climate: Unsurprisingly given its sheer size, Russia boasts a continental climate. To the east, Siberia suffers Russia's harshest climate, with temperatures dropping to as low as -50¡C in winter. Moscow and St Petersburg enjoy highs of around 32¡C in summer and lows of up to -25¡C in winter. Local time: GMT + 4 (Moscow) Currency: Russian Ruble. US$1 = RUB0.27 Language: Russian is the country's official language. English is widely understood in the major cities of Moscow and St Petersburg.


The Maldives' stunning islands and five-star resorts are attracting record numbers of tourists to the tiny island nation


additional 3.5 percent tourism goods and services tax in January, which applies to room and board rates, food and beverage and tour operator services. The growth in the Maldives' tourism sector has been aided by the ongoing development of the country's island chain, which numbers an incredible 1,190. Two hundred islands are currently inhabited, 97 of which are resort islands. This number is growing each year, as new prop- erties are planned and devel- oped in farther-flung locations. Existing properties are also being targeted by major hotel operators looking to enter the market. Hyatt Hotel Corporation recently took over the manage- ment of the acclaimed Alila Villas Hadahaa property located in the Huvadhoo atoll, marking its first foray in the country. The Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Island is the first resort in the Maldives to follow Earth Check certification standards for construction and operations. While the vast majority of the country's remote island luxury resorts are accessible either via seaplane or high-speed cruiser, the Maldives government plans to develop 10 new regional airports to boost transportation links between the main islands. Tourism operators are also looking to develop innovative


projects to set themselves apart while attracting a new breed of tourists to the island nation. Perhaps one of the most inter- esting in this respect is a plan recently announced by Troon Golf is developing a floating golf course, with each section linked together by underwater tunnels. The links course will be solar powered and feature floating platforms equipped with up to three holes each. It will be located just five minutes from Male International Airport and will cost up to US$500 million to develop. It is set to open in 2015.


Maldives fact File


The Maldives consists of 1,190 coral islands located in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India. The country is approximately 1.7 times the size of Washington DC, but it offers 644 kilometres of coastline. Its beaches and potential for watersports are what make the Maldives particularly attractive to visitors. So too is its marine life. Endangered species such as whale sharks, turtles and dolphins as well as corals are protected by law. The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British pro- tection. It became a republic in 1968. In 1972, the first island resort was developed.


Climate: The country's climate can be roughly divided into the north and south. Northern atolls receive less rain and higher tem- peratures, while the south is particularly susceptible to monsoon rains. Temperatures for the whole country range from 24¡C to 31¡C year round Local time: GMT + 5 Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa. MVR1 = US$0.07 Language: Dhivehi is the official language of the Maldives. English is mostly spoken in the island resorts.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28