Russian tourist sector: With a debilitated rouble making the cost of an overseas holiday becoming increasingly prohibitive for the average Russian, the country’s tourist industry is looking forward to one of its best summers in years, according to an industry poll in The Moscow Times. In a trend that began last year when demand for domestic vacations grew by between 25% and 30%, tour operator are anticipating at the least the same level of growth in 2015. With it no longer being cheaper to holiday in Turkey or Egypt than Sochi or Crimea, cost is a major factor working in the industry’s favour, but there appear to be other forces at work. “There’s a certain patriotism,” says Vadim Prasov, Vice President of the Federation of Restauranteurs and Hoteliers. “People have also decided to take their vacations here on account of the Western governments’ relations with Russia.” The Moscow Times