Pacific Islands Club Russian marketing manager Elly Stoilova said the loss of the Russian market is a grave concern for the CNMI.
In her comments submitted to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Stoilova said since the first Russian tourists visited the CNMI in 1995, the Russian market has grown substantially to create a solid impact on the local economy and the travel industry.
She said very little has been said about the vital reasons why the Russian market may be lost once the federalization law takes effect in November.
Stoilova pointed out that Russia was ranked in the top three countries in tourism and hospitality development by the World Travel & Tourism Council Report.
This means Russian tourists were among the world’s three highest spenders.
She said Russians who travel abroad usually belong to the mid- and upper classes of Russian society whose target for holidays are destinations with easy access, reasonable prices and an attractive locale — places that require a short time frame in trip organization, with good sightseeing, shopping and security.
She said Saipan as a visa-free destination has gained the love and loyalty of the Russians over the years, but the U.S. visa requirement will mean a significant drop in number of potential travelers from Russia.
Stoilova said other hindrances include the requirement that applicants for U.S. visas should have traveled to other destinations before.
Moreover, only three cities have U.S. consulates where visas can be obtained — Vladivostok, Moscow and Yekaterinburg.
Personal interviews are also required even for children and infants which means they have to travel to these cities and incur expenses in hotels, meals, and transportation.
“At least 65 percent of the tourists to Saipan are families with children and the U.S.-visa trip will be inconvenient,” Stoilova said.
She said only about 50 of the over 10,000 Russian travel operators and agencies in Russia specialize on travel to the U.S. and have the knowledge and connections to properly assist potential customers, and guide them through the visa process.
She said one more hurdle in the U.S. visa processing is the negative perception among Russians who believe that “not only is it difficult, time and money consuming, at certain moments it can be embarrassing without any guarantee of success.”
