The tourist in-flow from countries that normally provide for most travelers to Russia has noticeably dropped lately, the Russian Travel Industry Union reports. To handle this incoming tourists problem, the Union sent a proposal to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking to set up an ad hoc team that will look into the potential of tourism at home,’ the Union’s press secretary Irina Turina said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Interfax refers to Ms Turina as saying that the Union suggested creating a work team that will involve the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s representatives as well as those of the Ministry for Sports & Tourism, Rostourism, the Union members themselves, and some other related parties.

Even though the total number of tourists coming to Russia in the first quarter of 2011 went up by 5% in comparison with the first quarter of 2010, still, the in-flow of travelers from the leading countries actually decreased. For one, the number of travelers coming from Finland declined by 24%, while the number of travelers coming from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and France, Austria, and Norway slumped by 19%, 17%, 16%, 14%, and 13%, respectively.