What is the Embassy doing to increase the number of Russian tourists coming there?
The Philippine government is cooperating with the private sector in making Russian tourists feel welcome in the country. Based on the recommendation of the Embassy, Russian tourists now can enter the Philippines for 21 days without visas. Our two governments have made it so there can be direct flights from destinations in the Russian Far East and Siberia. The Embassy is doing what it can so that Philippine destinations get more exposure in the Russian general and travel media. We facilitated the negotiation and signing in March 2006 of a Tourism Cooperation Agreement between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism. The DOT also hosted an underwater photography exhibition on Philippine Independence Day at the Embassy residence last June. This coming February the Philippine Embassy and the DOT will launch the “WOW Philippines project” with the Russian Golden Dolphin company to get more Russians to visit the Philippines. Last December, I inaugurated Cafe
