More than 170 000 Russian tourists had spent their holidays in Bulgaria in 2006, Russia's general consul to Varna Anatoli Shtelkounov said.

Their number increased by 22 to 25 per cent as compared to the figures for 2005, he said as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA.

Shtelkounov said that he hoped more Russians will visit Bulgaria in 2007. Bulgaria needed to carry out bigger advertising campaigns of its resorts to attract Russian tourists.

Russians were mainly dissatisfied with pickpockets in the streets and hotel room robberies, Shtelkounov said.

Discrepancy between previously announced hotel conditions and real accommodation offered was another often encountered problem.

Bulgaria is a preferred tourism destination for a number of Russians since the communist regime years. They found in the country culturally and linguistically close.