<tit>RUSSIA TRANSITS TO SUMMER TIME
In accordance with the rules for time measurement determined by the government, "summer time" is introduced in Russia between March 26 and October 29, 2006. Hence at 2 a.m. (local time) on March 26, hands of the clocks will be moved one hour forward in the entire territory of Russia.
<ref>Finmarket agency, March 20, 2006
<tit>WTTC EXPECTS BOOM IN THE RUSSIAN TOURIST INDUSTRY
On March 21, the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) presented a report for the Russian government and Federal Tourism Agency in which it predicted that Russia would become one of the leading countries in tourist industry by 2016. According to WTTC, the tourist industry will develop in Russia twice as fast as in the European Union for a decade. Along with this, officials of the Federal Tourist Agency doubt that the industry develops so rapidly.
In 15 years of its existence, WTTC gathered the leaders of tourist industry and representatives of the international business community in the field of tourism and travels. WTTC spent $5 million on research in 174 countries according to the UN standards for economic evaluation of the tourist industry. Russia was included in the ranks of these countries.
According to President of WTTC Jean-Claude Baumgarten, all aspects of tourism in the field of tourism "should be viewed in macroeconomic terms" and analysis of WTTC is based on this approach. This research approach will allow comparison of the situation in the tourist industry with the situation in other sectors of the economy and in the country in general. Transition from the industry standards of evaluation to the macroeconomic ones brought WTTC to the following conclusion: tourist business in Russia is rather undervalued.
According to the report, the basic forecasts for the tourist industry measured in macroeconomic parameters are extremely favorable. Thus, in the next ten years the level of annual growth of the Russian sector of tourism and travels will amount to 6.4% of the GDP (3.1% of the GDP in the European Union countries). According to the authors of the report, by 2016, the share of tourist industry in Russia's GDP will reach 9.1%. The forecast of employment in this sector is slightly less optimistic. The quantity of jobs in the tourist industry will grow 1.5% a year like in the European Union. By 2016, the share of jobs in the tourist industry in Russia will amount to 7.7% in comparison to 13% in the European Union. In any case, according to WTTC, the tourist industry in Russia will develop more dynamically than in the European Union practically in all parameters.
Expenditures of the state on development of tourism in Russia are characterized as "inadequate to the needs of the rapidly developing industry." Foreign researchers estimated the state expenditures on the tourist industry at 2.7% of the overall expenditures of the government and presumed that "this share will hardly grow in the next decade." WTTC predicts that operating expenditures of the state in the tourist industry will reach 256.2 billion roubles by 2016. Overall, by 2016, capital expenditures of private and state sectors on the industry will amount to 2.6211 trillion roubles by 2016. The report also contains data for 2006. In 2006, the share of tourism and travels in the GDP will amount to 7.8% in comparison to 11.8% of this industry in the European Union. The number of people employed in the tourist industry will amount to 863,000 people. WTTC predicts that by 2016, the number of people employed in the tourist industry and associated industries will amount to 5.2 million.
Sergei Shpilko, President of the Russian Union of Tourist Industry, criticized conclusions of the report. It seemed that the optimism of WTTC confused him. Thus, he stated that decrease of the incoming tourism was registered in 2005. According to the Federal Statistical Agency, the decline amounted to 16% and growth of the outgoing tourism slowed down to 3.5% a year. Shpilko stated, "So far, it is impossible to speak about growth of the tourist industry." Natela Shengeliya, Deputy Director of the Federal Tourism Agency, spoke in a more diplomatic manner. She called the report "interesting and important for us and for investors" a "presentation" and proposed its discussion two months later at a seminar. Shengeliya added, "Presentation of auxiliary accounts of the industry when multiplication revenue from tourism being a revenue from all associated industries is taken into account is a valuable part of the report. We and the Federal Statistical Agency are currently working on this method."
At any rate, Shengeliya questioned many figures sounded in the report of WTTC. She said, "WTTC estimates the share of tourism in the GDP of Russia at 7.8% in 2006. We in the Federal Tourism Agency estimate it at 3.5-4%. I consider some things contradictory, for instance, this is a review of trends in the industry." In any case, officials of the Federal Tourism Agency believe that despite the discrepancies the data of the research correlates with the data used in preparation of the state strategy for development of tourism until 2010 being prepared by the agency.
<ref>Kommersant, March 22, 2006
<tit>GOOGLE OPENS A RUSSIAN OFFICE
Google officially announced opening of its office in Russia. Vladimir Dolgov will be the head of the Russian representative office of the company. Formerly Dolgov was CEO of Russia's largest Internet store ozon.ru.
Dolgov announced, "After opening the representative office of Google in Russia many products and services of Google will be adapted for needs of Russian users."
<ref>Kommersant, March 23, 2006
RVR
