Travel

By Simon Vincent, Area President, Europe, Hilton Worldwide

Tourism in Russia has grown rapidly. Fuelled by the country’s strong economy, rich history and vast geography, both outbound and inbound tourism have flourished. Russia has one of the biggest outbound travel markets in the world, registering over 40 million outbound tourists last year, with growth predicted to continue. Inbound tourism has also been on the rise with over 22 million international tourist arrivals in 2011, an increase of 11% on the previous year. Russia is therefore an important market and has been identified as a key growth area by Hilton worldwide, with more hotel openings planned in Russia over the next few years than anywhere else in Europe.

Having lived in St Petersburg for about 7 years, I haven’t seen much of it or North-West Russia than I have done of, say, Wales. I hear it’s lovely in Wales, but all I’ve done so far is visit Cardiff. The same applies to St Petersburg and the vicinity. In hindsight, I regret missing out on unique travels offered by Russia’s western-most region.

We have previously dwelt on the flamboyant geographical location that is Western Ukraine and its capital Lviv. So before you book your flights there, here’s a retrospective destination idea to make the most of your stay in Lviv and its vicinity.

Weather permitting, visit a town called Sambir on the river Dniester for a picnic out in the wilds. You will love walking down the quiet streets of this ‘provincial paradise’, alongside ‘doll houses’ with their lavish gardens and flower patches. Most homes have raspberry bushes lining their fences, so treat yourself to some berries, if you see any. That’s what I used to do when I was a kid on my family visits - this is where my father and his extended family came from.

There is hardly a person who has not heard of the beauty of St Petersburg, Russia’s ‘cultural’ and northern most capital. The picturesque bridges, canals and the lush green of its’ many gardens are all so attractive under the fickle northern sun. But what about in the harsh and long winter months? This is the time to discover the festive side of the city, provided you are dressed accordingly.

This September I travelled around Russia, both in order to see old friends and also to visit students who had just started their Year Abroad placements. Below is a diary of my travels and what I regard as the key events: