KUWAIT CITY, Feb 7: The Russian Ambassador to Kuwait Vladimir Zheltov says the number of Kuwaiti tourists to his country last year reached 7,000, which is large compared to the previous year. In a press statement issued on the sidelines of the opening of the “Travel to Moscow” conference the day before yesterday evening at the Jumeirah Hotel, Amb. Zheltov said, “This number has increased six times.” He explained that Kuwaiti citizens are currently benefiting from the electronic visa system, as the application process can be done on the website and there is no need to visit the embassy. Kuwaiti citizens can obtain an electronic visa for 16 days by applying online through the website designated for that purpose.

He said, “Distinguished representatives of the travel industry from both Russia and Kuwait gathered at the conference with a common goal, which is to strengthen tourism relations between the two friendly countries. The Russian-Kuwaiti relations continue to develop in various fields with tourism being considered the fastest growing in terms of the increase in the number of tourists visiting Russia, as Kuwait outperforms all other Gulf countries. In the past year, the number of Kuwaiti tourists visiting our country increased more than six-fold. Also, the launch of direct flights by Jazeera Airways from Kuwait City to Moscow one year ago contributed to achieving these wonderful results. Now with the introduction of e-visas for Kuwaiti citizens, traveling to Russia has become much easier. Moscow has a lot to offer, as our capital is among the most visited tourist destinations. Last year, it received 24.5 million visitors, including 2.3 million international tourists. There are a variety of museums in Moscow that contain collections of antiques and masterpieces of classical and contemporary art. It is also one of the greenest capitals, as it includes more than 120 parks. Moscow also has a large group of tourist attractions, as well as a variety of restaurants serving national and international cuisine.”

By Fares Al-Abdan
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies