Tourism in Eastern Europe is encouraged for two reasons: to publicize the political and economic achievements of the country and to bring in the hard currency required to purchase raw materials. Western travelers are shown the best features of the country in an attempt to impress on them that the political and economic system is working. The need for convertible or hard currency is also important. If the Soviet Union wishes to buy grain from the United States it must pay for that grain in US dollars. To get the dollars it goes to the international money market and "buys" dollars. The greater the demand for dollars, the greater the price of dollars. If tourists can be encouraged to bring dollars into a particular country and spend the dollars in the country, there is less need to buy dollars on the international market. Socialist countries have very strict currency controls. They tend to specify that a minimum amount of foreign currency be brought into the country per day of the visit. Moreover, tourists may be allowed to take a limited amount of currency, whether foreign or domestic, out of the country when they return home.
All foreign tourism in Eastern Europe and the USSR tends to be under the control of the government. The government owns and manages the facilities. It also controls the movement of its own citizens. A national is allowed to visit a country if it is in the Soviet bloc. To travel outside of the Communist bloc requires a visa, which is very difficult to get.
Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia has a well-deserved reputation for its spas, such as those at Carlsbad and Marienbad. The country also has winter sports facilities. Prague, the capital, is a major attraction.
This is the leading tourist-receiving country of the socialist countries. Most tourists come from East Germany, Hungary and Poland.
Bulgaria. Bulgaria has beautiful scenery, a number of coastal resorts along the Black Sea, recreational opportunities, and hot springs in the mountains. The towns, including the capital, Sofia, offer a glimpse into the culture of the old country. Most tourists come from Turkey. Eastern European countries account for the bulk of the remainder.
Romania. Although the skiing in the Carpathians is excellent, Romania's tourist activity is concentrated in the coastal resorts of the Black Sea. Visitors are also attracted to the capital, Bucharest. Eastern Europe accounts for almost 80 per cent of the tourists to the country. They come from Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary.
Poland. When tourists visit Poland they go to the historic and cultural attractions of Warsaw (the capital), the resorts on the Baltic coast, the many spas, the ski resorts of the Tara Mountains, and the recreational opportunities afforded in the Masurian Lake district. Poland is second to Czechoslovakia in Eastern Europe in attracting tourists. They come from East Germany, Czechoslovakia and the USSR.
Hungary. In Hungary the attractions are the capital city of Budapest, the lake resort of Lake Catalon, and the folk culture of the small towns. Cruise ships from the Soviet Union come up the Danube. About 70 per cent of visitors are from neighboring countries.
East Germany. Travelers to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) visit East Berlin, most entering from West Berlin and staying for less than a day, and also Dresden and Leipzig. Tourism is not important to East Germany.
The Soviet Union
Tourists to the Soviet Union are interested in the people (the country encompasses over a hundred different nationalities), the way of life under a Communist system, and the art and architecture of the nation.
The major tourist areas are Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev, in the central region. In Moscow the principal features are the Kremlin, Red Square and Lenin's Tomb. Along the Baltic coast, Tallinn and the ancient city of Riga are much visited. The Crimea and Black Sea regions are the Soviet Union's "Riviera". Major resorts include Odessa and Yalta. Resorts are varied, ranging from coastal towns and spas, founded originally on warm sulphur springs, to the skiing and climbing resorts of the high central Caucasus region. Further east is the Central Asian region. While Tashkent is a modern city, other towns in the region offer memories from past civilizations.
The average Soviet worker receives three to four weeks' annual paid vacation. Leisure time is considered an opportunity to recharge the body and soul. Official Soviet policy encourages health resorts and spas for this purpose. Spaces at these places are allocated through the trade unions to workers as a reward for their labor. This type of vacation is another example of social tourism.
The development of tourism from the West is hampered by a general suspicion of foreigners, generally lower standards of food and accommodation, tight controls on tourist movements, a lack of nighttime entertainment, and problems with communication.
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