Why is the former Soviet Union ignored by ETBD?

With regards to comments about the complicated visa acquisition process and bureaucracy, I would just like to remind people that this isn't a one-sided phenomenon. Russians get hassled just as much when traveling to America or Western Europe, both financially and in terms of time/effort needed. While you can waltz into Western Europe with just a passport, I have to spend around $200 and fill out applications, gather documents, submit biometric data, and mail my passport out two different times -- for a three-week trip.

Although I will concede that Russian immigration procedures are riddled with bureaucracy, that is the case with every country. You're just lucky that you don't have to deal with it in much of the world.

"Personally, the last thing I would want to see in Vilnius is an invasion of Blue Book toting Ricknicks..."

What's wrong with "Blue Book toting Ricknicks"?

One of the reasons is probably because not that many Americans desire to go to those countries. Hence it is probably a matter of deploying resources to where it has the greatest impact. If ETBD focuses on the countries you mentioned such as books, tours etc. there will be some but probably not a great many takers (my guess).

I know that I have been researching the other Soviet Republics of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan (for the most part considered Europe) and there is very little info to be had even from sites like TripAdvisor. My normal fallback - in fact my first choice for off beat destinations - is the lonely planet forum.

ETBD hasn't entirely ignored those countries. If you check the Rick on Radio button at the top of the page, the program archives there show several of his radio shows focusing on those areas. There is a lot of ETBD travel information out there, it's just not in a guidebook. One of Rick's favorite destinations personally is India, yet he has said he would never write a guidebook for that area.

Printing and publishing books is expensive. As ETBD is a business, they're gonna focus their resources on destinations that make money.
As for Russia, it's still a closed country, it doesn't encourage tourism. Why bother going through the trouble of assembling a guidebook for a destination that's such a pain in the butt to get to.

Ditto the money comment. ETBD is a business, not a Wikipedia-style resource. Years ago, they published a Russia book, but due to expenses and lack of interest, it fell out of print. If I'm not mistaken, there's a chapter on either Tallin or Riga in the Scandinavia edition.

Lonely Planet currently publishes what is probably the most extensive Russia guidebook, and they even have chapters on Belarus and Ukraine (if you read between the lines, they're basically saying "Don't go to Belarus!).

Personally, the last thing I would want to see in Vilnius is an invasion of Blue Book toting Ricknicks...

"The Russian's still haven't "gotten it" for his kind of independent travel. Visa requirements, small private hotels, and travel infrastructure just isn't there, yet."

All too true. I took a cruise a couple of years ago that included St. Petersburg. Taking the cruise line's shore excursions was the only practical option. Obtaining a visa for independent travel in Russia is expensive and complicated, and the bureaucracy is awful. I remember, one shore excursion offered by the cruise line was a trip to Moscow. It was a kind of crazy idea -- fly there from St. Petersburg for a one-day tour and return the same night! Ridiculous, in my opinion -- I didn't take it. But, those who did ran into trouble. The flight was late getting back, because of some problem wholly the fault of the Russians, but when the group returned to the ship, the immigration people were upset because the group had technically overstayed the group's temporary visa. After a couple of hours of bureaucratic wrangling, they were finally allowed back on the boat, about 4:00 a.m. I'm glad I didn't take that tour!

I think that the mantra from ETBD has been that they will continue to service the limited locales they have done in the past well, and try to cover new areas as time allows. I do not think it is entirely a money thing though, ETBD has been hounded for years to expand to Greece (Huge $$ potential) and did start tours and now a Peloponnese book based mainly on the tour, but little interest in the islands, where most tourist interest is. Besides the normal adversity to expension of ETBD (which I admire); I think too that Eastern Europe' in the past maybe, did not offer the same level of comfort, ease of travel, and accessibilty that the well trod paths of Western Europe does. This certainly would limit sales of books, hurting overall performance.

If I leave the safe environs of the RS world, I head to Lonely Planet or Lets Go, maybe not the quirky humor, but I get the basics for an area.

Well, I certainly agree that touring the countries of the former Soviet Union are a hastle and truely a pain in the butt, but isn't that what "back door" travel is all about? Come on folks. That's what makes back door travel so great and memorable! About twenty years ago I'm sure the same comments were being made about Hungary, Poland and the former Czechoslovakia. Somebody made the comment that not enough people will travel to Russia to make it worth the effort. Nearly 150,000 from the U.S. in 2008. If just 10% purchased Rick Steves products... I'm sure Rick hasn't ignored the former SU on purpose, he's way too clever a businessman to do that. Let's just say that he has other priorities. As for Iran, that was an obvious political statement which, though it had nothing to do with Europe, was important and very enjoyable. I do agree that Europe is Europe and the SU should be covered. Lonely Planet is fine, but it's not ETBD and I believe that's what the poster was asking about. So back to the original question: Ignored, not completely; Not properly covered, that's a huge yes. Be patient and give it time. He'll get there.

150,000 people from the US traveling to Russia is nothing; that's the equivalent of one college football match at the U of Michigan:) I'd venture a guess that a large chunk of the 150K is are Russia expats traveling to visit family.

"What's wrong with "Blue Book toting Ricknicks"?" Nothing, as such, except that hoards of Ricknicks and other tourists inevitably produces a proliferation of souvenir stands and other businesses that cater only to tourists (Rick Steves himself has joked about this phenomenon in a blog entry titled "Rick Steves must be stopped"). Vilnius very much reminds me of Prague in the late 1980s and early 1990s before all the souvenir and T shirt shops moved in. I hope it stays that way.

I just returned from Turkey on June 12 after 21 days there which included a "13 day RS Turkey Tour". I stayed in Istanbul before and after the tour, as well as 2 days of the tour for a total of 10 days. I can count on one hand the number of travelers walking around with RS guide books that I saw. Lots of travelers with Lonely Planet guide books tho. Guess ETBD publishing their Istanbul guide book has not turned that city into a "Ricknic Mess" as some posters complain about. I have been to Europe every summer for the last 10 years, always to different parts, and have never felt besieged by tourists toting RS guide books. I guess I am looking for different things. Happy travels.

i hate cut/pasting on here, but i read something RS said about iceland that i think answers your question (and, amazingly, i was able to find it.) substitute any of those countries for 'iceland' and i think you've got your answer. which, as is mentioned by many above, is totally fair and understandable. the market has spoken, and it does not want to go to latvia (though i would!)

Kennesaw, Georgia : Why is is that when you talk about Scandinavia you do not include Iceland as part of it. As i born and raised Icelander and Scandinavian i am still in awe how few people know in this day and age that Iceland is one of the five Scandinavian countries. I would strongly urge you not to ignore this beutiful country. Very low crime rate, pollution free, it's unspoiled nature and hitory. Thank you. Elin Just wanted too let you know that my husband and i used your book the last time we went to Austria and Germany. It was great.

Rick Steves: Iceland is a beautiful country. I am in business to both teach, inspire...and to make money. My business plan requires offering things that are too good a value to be viable on their own. Everything I do with my fifty partners here at Europe through the Back Door needs to serve several business purposes...my targetted or covered destinations need to overlap...in order for me to continue my work. Tangents like Iceland, Morocco, Malta, the Azores, etc just don't work for me.

Copy/Pasted from: http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20011025005/tscript.htm

I actually own the RS Russia/Baltics guide that he published in the 90s ... clearly it must not have made any money or it would still be published. I used it in Tallinn an it was rather weak. Lonely Planet was significantly better.

Well, other than Berlin, the whole northern half of Germany is completely ignored. People ask about that all the time on here.

There are towns up North like Quendlinburg, Lübeck, or Büdingen that rival Rothenburg, but they don't even get a mention. Hamburg is becoming a huge tourist destination, but how many of you on this forum have thought about going there? Germany has many areas of beautiful mountains, forests, and lots of walled, medieval towns, but they are all ignored. A visit to the Spree Wald, the North Sea, the Harz Mountains, or the Taunus Mountains and all the towns they contain, will give you more of an "authentic" German feel as well as being a true ETBD. Going to most of the places in the RS books will NOT give you this feeling, because they are packed with tourists. Not because those places are any better, just simply because people are afraid to branch out and discover new things. (I am not talking here about the one of a kind places like the Alps or Neuschwanstein). It is sad that so many beautiful places are ignored. I am betting that other countries besides Germany have been brushed over the same way. The same old towns getting mentioned over and over and over again.

Perhaps more books would get sold if new cities, new destinations were mentioned each year for their respective countries guidebook. Wouldn't that make you want to rush out to buy it, to see the new features?

"I am betting that other countries besides Germany have been brushed over the same way." Belgium and the Netherlands, to site two other examples. I've given up trying to promote Ghent, Utrecht, 's Hetogenbosch, Breda and Antwerp, because obviously, if they're not in the RS book, they can't possibly be worth a visit!

There's nothing wrong with only including selective highlights (and in some cases, what appear to be random selections) of a country in a guidebook. Just don't use that one guidebook as your only source of information.

Book publishing is a complex business. Rick or any other author simply can't throw a guidebook together and demand that booksellers sell his book. Bookstores have a finite amount of shelf space, they're only going to sell books that will make money. There are also lots of middlemen that have a say in the process like publishers, printers, and distributors; they all have finite resources, and want to make a profit.

Same deal with Rick's TV shows. I remember reading an interview a while back with Rick...Even though he gives his TV programs away for free to PBS stations, he still has to get permission from his TV distributor for each and every episode he makes. One example he cited, was the distributors constant refusal to green-light shows about Scandinavia. They feel there isn't enough interest in that region to justify it.
Rick has to deal with corporate BS just like the rest of us:)

My mistake, I always think of the eastern edge of Belarus and the Ukraine as the line between Europe and Asia.

Doesn't ETBD stand for Europe Through... which Russia is not a part of.

Actually, the most populous, and most visited parts of Russia are in Europe.....west of the Urals which, if I remember correctly, is considered the usual dividing line between Europe and Asia in that part of the world.

Correct James,, only the Germans are perfect.