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Las Vegas is the epitome of the wealth and success that a gambling Mecca can create. With 19 of the world’s 25 largest luxury hotels, and a total of 124,270 hotel rooms accommodating the 36.7 million annual visitors, it is no wonder that other states and countries look on enviably and want to emulate its success.

Now Russian plans to build its own Las Vegas city - in Siberia. This Last Vegas East will be called the “Siberian Coin” and the proposed site is near the border with China, perhaps the only positive thing going for it, as the Chinese are notorious gamblers.

The planning of a casino in Russia seems to fly in the face of earlier edicts by President Vladimir Putin. He banned casinos in all major cities in Russia in 2009, allowing gambling only in four remote regions, one of which is Siberia. That move was estimated to cost Russia half a million jobs and $1billion in tax revenues. Perhaps he’s having to rethink his hasty decision, which he insisted was to tackle the growing problems of gambling addiction and money laundering which went on within the industry.

Businessweek estimates this audacious new project will cost around $50 billion which will include 15 casinos and 30 hotels. But, will luxury hotels be lured to this risky venture or will they stick with what they are sure of? Certainly the sunny desert climate, infrastructure and available workforce in Las Vegas make the investment in a luxury hotel there far less risky. And currently Siberia is a very long train ride from anywhere.

by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels

Russia is making a determined pitch to become a major tourist destination by 2016.

Despite being home to some great attractions – from Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow to the famed Hermitage museum in Saint Petersburg – Russia has struggled to attract visitors.

It suffers from having some of the most expensive hotels in the world, an inadequate tourism infrastructure, and a reputation for surly service and bureaucracy.

“We are going to do everything possible to make foreign visitors feel comfortable in Russia,” the Deputy Minister for Tourism and Sport, Nadezhda Nazina, told Agence France Presse.

She said the Russian government would soon be considering a 352 billion ruble (£7.2 billion/$11.5 billion) plan to improve infrastructure and launch a major advertising campaign.

Russia attracted only 2.3 million foreign visitors last year, according to the federal tourism agency, placing it far below the top destinations for international tourists. The top two, France and the United States, attracted 74 million and 55 million visitors respectively in 2009, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

The Russians are looking to attract up to 40 million tourists annually within five years, but Maya Lomidze, the Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, said she didn’t think this was feasible.

“Too many conditions would have to be met for this plan to be realised. The main necessity is that we have hotels at affordable prices. Russia is a very expensive country,” she said.

by Andy Moreton

Moscow is notoriously expensive, but Luxique will get you the best rates possible at the Baltschug Kempinski or the Golden Apple Boutique.