European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                St. Basil s Cathedral in Moscow s red Square and other sights in the former soviet Union Are becoming familiar to a growing number of Western tourists. Tourism booming in Cis by Chuck Roberts staff writer it has t increased As much As the Price of bread or Vodka but tourism is booming in the Commonwealth of Independent states. Quot people want to see what s going on Quot said Robert Colantonio a tour operator with top Tours in Kaiserslautern Germany. Quot Many Are military and want to see what the Deal was. They be seen the pictures and now they want to see for  business has increased by about 30 percent at top Tours for trips to the former soviet Union Colantonio said. In addition to its traditional trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg by commercial air top Tours has added a cruise to St. Petersburg and a bus trip that includes lesser known cities in the Cis. Eur Tours in Frankfurt Germany has seen an increase of about 20 percent and expects Quot quite a lot More Quot said Joe Schnuerer who is in charge of group Tours to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Schnuerer said he thinks the extra interest can be attributed to heavy newspaper and television coverage of recent events in the Cis. But the recent surge in business does t mean that the Cis was t popular before. Quot the interest has always been there Quot said Bernadette Wise a spokeswoman for enjoy Tours and Globetrotter travel service in Kaiserslautern. Wise said that Many people signing up for trips Are repeat customers who want to see if the Cis is much different than the soviet Union they previously visited. After doing the traditional six Day trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg Colantonio said Many people return Only to St. Petersburg because it s Quot nicer and prettier Quot than Moscow. He said St. Petersburg has so Many museums and attractions to visit that people can return several times and never see everything. Getting there has become easier for military people such As pilots and chaplains who used to have difficulty having their visa application approved. It used to take about a month to have a visa application processed but now it takes Only about two weeks. Colantonio said he has t had a visa application rejected the past year. Also on the increase in the Cis is the Exchange rate. The rate for tourists has increased from six rubles to 110 rubles for one Dollar the past year. While Many russians Are struggling to live on a pension of about 400 rubles a month americans have tremendous spending Power on the local Economy despite the super inflated prices. Quot that s not fair but that s the Way it is Quot Colantonio said. Although it s still illegal to make purchases with dollars in the Cis the practice is becoming More prevalent among russians he said. Inflated prices Haven t forced tour companies to increase their prices but that will probably change when hotels and other vendors become privately owned Schnuerer said. But when that might happen is almost impossible to predict he said. Quot every Day it changes Quot Schnuerer said. Quot let s Hope that everything stays Calm up there with the  one pleasant change is the open rapport that has developed Between tourists and the local guides the past two years Colantonio said. Quot five years ago there was a lot of things they could t Tell you like How deep is a subway because it was a military secret Quot Colantonio said. But guides now Are eager and willing to discuss almost anything with tourists. During a thanksgiving trip to the Cis a jewish tour guide told members of the Globetrotter group that she was Able to talk freely about her religion and politics for the first time in her  group returned to Germany with an unusual souvenir As a result of their generosity. After they donated clothes Medicine food and other items to churches in Moscow the St. Petersburg the priest in Moscow presented them with two plaques that he blessed Wise said. 848 Kan a org travel officials say St. Petersburg is increasingly popular with visitors who consider it More attractive than Moscow. April 9, 1992 stripes Magazine 7