PR No.: ED/54/2011

Dear Mr. Radkov,

We were deeply saddened by the passing away of Mr. Anatoliy Yarochkin, Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation. With his leave Russian tourism has suffered a grievous loss. We know Mr. Yarochkin as a wonderful hard-working person who dedicated all his life to tourism industry development in Russia. He knew tourism firsthand, having paved not an easy way from an ordinary guide to the Head of the National Tourism Administration of the Russian Federation. It would be impossible not to acknowledge his personal contribution to the fact that tourism has become nowadays one of the most important and priority areas of socio-economic development in Russia.

We will always remember Mr. Yarochkin as a leader who made a valuable contribution to tourism development in the Russian Federation and to strengthening fruitful relations between Russia and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

I am kindly asking you to express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mr. Yarochkin and to all the staff of the Federal Agency for Tourism. I would also like to assure you once again that the Federal Agency for Tourism can fully count on extensive support and assistance of the World Tourism Organization in your endeavour of tourism development in Russia.

With my kind regards,

Taleb Rifai