IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), which provided accommodation to the champion Manchester United team in its Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre, is asking the authorities in Russia to ease entry visa checks following its highly successful management of the final of the Uefa Champions League.
IHG's Chief Operating Officer Continental Europe, Robin Wicks, said, "The Russian authorities have done a sterling job fast-tracking its complex visa process to ensure the 50,000 British soccer fans who went to Moscow could get there at short notice. We applaud their actions.
This goes to show it can be done. But Russia's current visa process is simply far too slow and is seriously hampering the emerging tourist trade. By adopting similar measures to those used for the Manchester United and Chelsea fans, the volume of tourism traffic could dramatically rise".
Manchester United occupied 150 rooms at one of the 6 hotels IHG has opened in the promising Russian market, the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre. IHG has also signed for a further ten hotels.
Wicks further said, "The passenger flow at Moscow international airports is booming; up from 19 million in 2002 to more than 33 million in 2006 - and planned airport expansion will increase capacity to more than 85 million by 2012.
Russia is gearing up for a surge in tourism. Lifting the visa restrictions and embracing low-cost airlines will spark that boom. It's the perfect time to do it".
