ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to identify whether there is a link between the introduction of international political and economic sanctions and the dynamics of inbound tourism in Russia. The influence of expert international ratings on the image of the country may either facilitate or prevent the volume of inbound tourist flows. The main research methods are the comparative analysis and the method of expert evaluations. The article investigates the official statistics of the RF agencies on the dynamics of incoming tourism in Russia in 2011–2016, international ratings 2011–2016. The authors look upon the methodology used for the formation of relevant statistical bases and international ratings. It is concluded that incoming tourist flows are significantly influenced by political and economic international sanctions. Streams of “real tourists” increased from the countries that did not join international sanctions against Russia and decreased from the countries that joined them. One of the major means of forming a negative image of the country is the opinion of international rating agencies. They also change people’s opinion about the “soft power” in the country. The dominance of the dynamic factor of politics over the static factors, such as nature, climate, cultural values, and socio-economic factors is evident in case of Russia’s inbound tourism for the period 2014–2016.
