GELENJIK, July 23 (RIA Novosti) - Facing journalists before a State Council session on the spa business in Russia, Vladimir Yakovlev, the president's plenipotentiary in the Southern Federal District, suggested a thought-out advertising campaign to promote Russian health resorts.
He referred to the coming session of the president's consultative body as a historic event, citing the tsar's concern about 100 years ago over the preference given by the Russian elite to foreign health resorts.
As a consequence, continued Yakovlev, the money was leaving Russia and a decision had to be taken.
He sees a certain similarity with the situation today.
"About eight million people were accommodated at Black Sea coast health resorts last year while over 4.5 million spent their vacations abroad," said Yakovlev.
He emphasised the fact that tourism in many countries is a very lucrative item of the budget revenue.
