| A study commissioned by dating giant Anastasia | | | | than the nation as a whole, fully 80 percent of these |
| International interviewed 1,697 Western clients who had | | | | marriages having lasted over the years for which |
| attended at least one Anastasia Romance Tour | | | | reports are available." This is in comparison to the U.S. |
| between 2002 and 2009 to meet single women from | | | | divorce rate which has hovered in the neighborhood of |
| Russia and CIS. Romance Tours take men from | | | | 50‐56% over the past few years. |
| behind their computers to organized excursions | | | | Among other comments, a large portion of Anastasia's |
| through Russia and Ukraine with the object of | | | | Romance Tour participants found the staff and U.S. |
| connecting with ladies in search of amour and possibly | | | | representatives "good" to "great". While a small |
| marriage. | | | | percentage commented on some ladies that smoke |
| Results showed a whopping 18.9% of those | | | | cigarettes, initiatives in Eastern European countries to |
| interviewed were now either married (13%) or in what | | | | curb smoking have made an impact with these |
| qualified as a lasting relationship (5.9%) with a Russian | | | | comments coming from men who attended earlier |
| or Ukrainian woman met on an Anastasia Romance | | | | tours, 2002‐2003. Suggestions for improvements |
| Tour. Of course in the real world not all is champagne | | | | included organizing a European river tour, perhaps a |
| and caviar. A small percentage of those surveyed | | | | cruise on the Ukraine's Dnieper. |
| became engaged but broke it off (2.3%). However, | | | | Comments concerning AnastasiaDate.com's website |
| 325 of them (19%) found their sojourn so sweet as to | | | | included compliments on the quality and beauty of the |
| prompt them to take part in several Anastasia | | | | ladies and the easy‐to‐use and efficient email |
| Romance Tours. One gentleman and Anastasia | | | | service. But the most significant applause came for |
| member had even attended in excess of 30 tours. | | | | Anastasia's Live Chat service which rated 9's and 10's |
| 30% of participants rated their excursion from "fun" | | | | out of 10 for chatability and cost effectiveness in |
| and "well run" to "the best trip of my life". | | | | connecting with Ladies. |
| The new survey complements a report from the | | | | Although internet dating is the 3rd largest online |
| United States Citizenship and Immigration Services | | | | revenue generator, the sector produces scant |
| (USCIS) which found that international dating portals | | | | statistics to qualify its success. By this study, Anastasia |
| are responsible for "4,000 to 6,000 marriages" per | | | | hopes to quantify and qualify the benefits and success |
| year. It states "...marriages arranged through these | | | | of international online dating. |
| services would appear to have a lower divorce rate | | | | |