MOSCOW, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Despite the anti-Russia propaganda, U.S. tourists to Russia increased by 25 percent in the first nine months of 2017, the chief of Russia's tourism agency said Thursday.

In the first nine months of 2017, Russia's border authorities recorded a 25-percent increase of American tourists visiting Russia compared with the same period of 2016, Oleg Safonov, head of Russian Federal Agency for Tourism, told the Izvestia daily in an interview.

"The anti-Russia propaganda only arouses great interest among American citizens for our country," said Safonov.

Safonov explained why the anti-Russia propaganda helps to increase the tourist flow. "American citizens are told various stories about what is going on in Russia, no wonder they want to come and see everything by themselves."

Safonov said American tourists are not disappointed by what they saw in Russia. They see a "modern, peaceful and developed country," he said.