MANILA, March 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The Philippines and Russia will sign a tourism cooperation agreement this month to further boost travel between the two countries, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on its website Sunday.

    Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and Minister Vladimir Stazhalkovsky of the Russia Federation's Federal Agency for Tourism are scheduled to sign the bilateral agreement on March 14 at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow.

    The accord, first drafted in 1998, seeks to simplify border control and customs matters and to provide for the exchange of information, the training of tour guides, the organization of group and individual tours and the establishment of tourism offices in both countries.

    Russia is becoming a major source of tourists to the Philippines, with the number of Russian visitors here up 108 percent from 2004 to 2005, said officials.

    In January of this year, the Philippines played host to 334 Russian tourists who visited Cebu, Bohol and Boracay, all in central Philippines.

    The World Tourism Organization has also ranked Russian travelers 10th in the list of the biggest spenders. Enditem