Russian tourist outflow likely to fall 40% after terrorist attacks

MOSCOW, Nov 17 (PRIME) -- Tourist outflow from Russia will fall about 40% after recent terrorist attacks in the world, Director of the Federal Agency for Tourism Oleg Safonov, told PRIME on Tuesday.

“Terrible terrorist attacks which have shaken the world recently will decrease tourist outflow from Russia by about 40%. This is an expert estimate. It means that we must do our best to develop tourist potential of our country as domestic tourist flow will be expectedly higher,” he said.

Chief of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov said that Russian experts who investigated the crash of Airbus A321 in Egypt in October concluded that the cause of the accident was an explosion of a 1-kilogram-TNT-equivalent bomb on board.

The A321 plane of Russia’s Kogalymavia, operating under the Metrojet brand, with 217 passengers and seven crew on board crashed over the Sinai Peninsula while flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg on October 31.

On November 13, 129 people were killed about 300 injured in a range of terrorist attacks in Paris.

Reuters News agency reported that Tunisia has arrested a cell of 17 Islamist militants and prevented a major assault on hotels and security forces in the resort town of Sousse planned for November.

End