Rare TLCOhio Posted January 21, 2013 #1 Share Posted January 21, 2013 From the Courier Mail in Brisbane Sunday morning, they had this headline: "Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef have become the playground for wealthy Russian tourists" with these highlights: "Russian oligarchs and ex-KGB chiefs are turning to Cape York and Great Barrier Reef wilderness as the "new frontier" to hunt boar, fish for black marlin and bask in luxury. Honeymooning couples from the former Soviet Union are part of the new order "glasnost" in tourism as they look to escape a brutal cold for adventure and warmth in the Sunshine State. Latest figures show the Russian bear soared 17 per cent in visitor numbers to Australia in the past year, up the same percentage rate but off a much lower base than the boom Chinese dragon market. But these are no ordinary travellers - many are used to ultra-luxury resorts, private jets, helicopters and superyachts. Exclusive Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, north of Cooktown, voted the world's top resort lodge in 2012, confirmed it had become a popular destination for the Russian market." Interesting article on the shifting, changing trends in travel, what's growing in popularity, etc. We are planning on doing some time in the Port Douglas/Great Barrier Reef area prior to starting our cruise out of Sydney on Jan. 20, 2014. Just one year away!!! But, no private jets and luxury resorts for us on our budget. Full story at: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/cape-york-and-the-great-barrier-reef-have-become-the-playground-for-wealthy-russian-tourists/story-e6freoof-1226557379497 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 115,073 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4774Papa Posted January 21, 2013 #2 Share Posted January 21, 2013 when we visited Russia in the Summer of 2011, our guide told us that Russians like to visit countries that don't require visas for Russians, specifically, Turkey, Israel and Greece. I wonder if Australia requires Russians to have visas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted January 22, 2013 #3 Share Posted January 22, 2013 From the Courier Mail in Brisbane Sunday morning, they had this headline: "Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef have become the playground for wealthy Russian tourists" ...Well, there goes the neighbourhood. I know it's a bit of a generalisation, but this breed of tourist has a tendency to wreck every place it decides to adopt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacs Posted January 22, 2013 #4 Share Posted January 22, 2013 when we visited Russia in the Summer of 2011, our guide told us that Russians like to visit countries that don't require visas for Russians, specifically, Turkey, Israel and Greece.I wonder if Australia requires Russians to have visas? Australia requires all visitors to have a Visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Big_M Posted January 22, 2013 #5 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I was surprised how many travel for tourism. On my European trip they were actually the dominant number in some hotels we stayed in, and very visible in many cities. Unsurprising then that they're moving further afield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TLCOhio Posted January 22, 2013 Author #6 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Appreciate the nice variety of comments and insights. On another board on this subject, I especially enjoyed the comments by Bescotti on "in Tahiti last year, a super yacht, 'Pacific' was berthed beside us - with 2 helipads and 17 suites - and was owned by a Russian family of 6. They also charter it out but it stays in the South Pacific region. It left all the yachts you see in Monaco etc looking like small change!" Must have been fascinating to see!! We've traveled in 22 different countries in Europe and have not encountered that many Russians. Did visit both St. Petersburg and Moscow during a 2008 Baltics cruise. Great history and architecture. Especially in Moscow, you could see how the westernizing was happening with upscale stores, advertising, etc. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 115,253 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.