The Russia Tourism Report examines the long-term prospects for the tourism sector but, in the short term, considers the negative consequences of an economic slowdown in the key source markets. The strong pick-up in growth in 2011 in visitor numbers from major markets (outside the former Soviet Union), including the eurozone, China, Poland and the UK, is expected to slow sharply, halving growth in arrivals to some 5% year-on-year (y-o-y) in 2012. Some recovery, however, is anticipated in 2013. The report analyses official data on the number of foreign visitors to Russia, which showed sharp negative growth in 2009 (after years of low growth) but relative buoyancy in 2011. BMI also considers figures on the departure of Russian citizens abroad, which, aside from 2009's negative growth, have witnessed continual healthy growth rates in recent years.