Recap of the Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum
The third Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum was held on 8–11 June in Moscow at Pavilion 55 and on Industry Square of the All-Russia Exhibition Centre (VDNH).
Over 50,000 participants attended the events of the Forum’s business programme and the festival site over the span of four days. The business programme included over 30 sessions, at which more than 240 speakers participated. This year, 200 companies presented 80 stands, while some of them presented collective expositions. This year, all eight of Russia’s federal districts took part in the Forum, representing a total of 40 regions at the exhibition. The event had an exhibition area of more than 24,000 square metres.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan presented their own stands at the Forum. Other delegations attending the event included representatives of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Cuba, the Philippines, Armenia, Serbia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
In 2023, the Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum became the largest tourism festival event.
Over four days, the Forum’s guests and participants took part in a colourful kaleidoscope of interactive events. The Creative Workshop hosted 25 master classes and showcased the national flavour and special features of the participating regions. Master classes taught participants how to make clay figures, paint on clay with ethnic ornaments, various types of weaving, and much more.
The festival stage featured more than 65 events: band performances, presentations of national tourist routes, an event-based tourist calendar, and a gastronomic map of Russia. In addition to a vibrant concert programme, the festival included a presentation of an event tourism calendar and national tourist routes that are being developed as part of the National Tourism Project. In addition, the Forum guests had an opportunity to take part in gastronomic master classes about Russia’s national tourist routes, as well as in an interactive game where they assembled two maps in the form of a puzzle: the first a huge map of Russia with regions, the second a gastronomic map of Russia.
A Dream Trip quest offered participants a chance to learn about the regions of Russia represented at the Forum. More than 1,300 people took part in the quest and won 53 prizes, including various travel accessories and trips around Russia and abroad.
During the official opening ceremony, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko addressed the Forum participants:
“President Vladimir Putin has set the goal of accelerating the development of tourism infrastructure and creating affordable and comfortable conditions for the recreation of our citizens. As part of the National Tourism and Hospitality Industry Project, the Russian government is providing the regions and businesses with the essential tools to achieve these goals. Approximately RUB 50 billion will be allocated from the federal budget to support the tourism sector in 2023. This will create new hotel room capacity, support entrepreneurial initiatives, develop national tourist routes, and provide our schoolchildren and young people with free educational trips. The Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum is timed to coincide with the start of the tourism season. Per tradition, it offers a discussion platform for leading industry experts. Representatives of the regions personally take part in the Forum’s work, as they understand the importance of developing the tourism sector, which brings together more than 50 industries and stimulates the growth of regional economies. Based on the results of the Forum’s business section, we expect real proposals from the participants for the development of tourism in Russia.”
Advisor to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov said:
“The Russian tourism industry today faces a difficult strategic objective. Despite the current global trends at the foreign policy level, we continue our work to establish and strengthen international relations, including through our culture and hospitality. We are still happy to see guests from friendly countries, but we are awaiting tourists from any continent. We have no unfriendly nationalities or peoples! We are building a positive agenda within the country, which will provide an impetus for the development of international business relations. The Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum is one of the most successful formats for solving not only Russian, but also international issues. It’s no coincidence that the Forum’s guests include representatives of Myanmar, Cuba, the Philippines, Armenia, Serbia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and other countries. Congress and exhibition activities have become part of the tourism industry, which serves the government’s purposes. The theme of developing domestic and international tourism will be continued on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.”
Roscongress Foundation Deputy CEO and Director of the Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum Vladimir Zatynayko:
“Based on all the laws of the event industry, the exhibition and the Forum have a delayed and even cumulative effect as tools for solving strategic problems. All the new acquaintances, experience, and knowledge gained here will be important for a long time and will have a positive economic effect on participants at all levels. But even today, here and now, I can confidently say that the event was a success. The Let’s Travel! Forum is a unique project of the Roscongress Foundation: it is the only event in Russia that combines the formats of a forum, festival, and exhibition. Guests can attend the festival in the very centre of the capital with the whole family, choose a trip for themselves, and simply spend time productively and with pleasure, as business promotes its product. The event is also crucial for representatives of the authorities at various levels. Here, a representative of the tourism industry has his own voice and every chance to be heard, while the authorities can get an objective answer and honest feedback and establish partnerships to resolve industry issues at the state level.”
The Forum was held with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the State Duma’s Committee on Tourism and the Development of Tourism Infrastructure, the National Priorities Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization, the All-Russian Exhibition Centre, the Russian Geographical Society, the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, and other industry associations.
Organiser – Roscongress Foundation
Strategic Partner – Russian Railways
Official Bank – Russian National Commercial Bank
Partner Country – Kyrgyzstan
Partner City – St. Petersburg
New Year’s Capital of Russia – Vladimir Region and the city of Suzdal
Partner – All-Russian Exhibition Centre
Business Programme Partners – North Caucasus Resorts, the Expedition Glamping Club, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and NAFI Research Centre
Organizational Partners – ‘Russia – Land of Opportunity’, FUN & SUN, Sletat.ru, Kuban-Vino, Aqua Holding, F5 Digital Agency, and the Mosvolunteer Research Centre
Official Partner Hotels – Radisson Blu Belorusskaya, Maxima Hotels, YE’S Botanica Aparthotel, Oksana Hotel, Hanoi Moscow Aparthotel, and Q-Block Capsule Hotel
Official channels of the Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum and Festival:
For visiting the Trade Show please contact:
Luana Saratikyan
Tel. +7 (977) 542-46-96
luana.saratikian@roscongress.org
OUR PARTICIPANTS ABOUT US:
Dmitry Vakhrukov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation:
“In our country, tourism is becoming an industry that not only attracts the attention of tourists, but also the authorities, businesses, and everyone around us. Today, there is a great chance to achieve truly breakthrough growth in the industry. The strategic decisions we make in the coming months should lay the foundation for this growth.”
Alexander Remiga, First Deputy Governor of the Vladimir Region:
“It’s a good platform where the professional community comes up with solutions and exchanges opinions. A huge number of guests are represented both in the exhibition and at the business platform. So, our job is to clearly highlight our plans and add recognition not only to the regions, but also to individual points that may be of interest to potential tourists.”
Olga Lapshina, Director of the Tourism Office of the Industry Department of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra:
“Travelling for us is an opportunity to be with family, an opportunity to smile, be happy, and acquire a lot of impressions and emotions. It’s great that today the state authorities, federal authorities, and executive authorities in the regions are paying special attention to the development of tourism. This is what will precisely provide an incredible impetus to the development of other sectors of the region and growth in socioeconomic development.”
Ilya Umansky, President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry:
“Tourism in Russia is actively developing at the moment, and I think that in the next few years we have every chance to strengthen this trend. Today, we have support measures that stimulate the development of infrastructure and the increase of hotel room capacity. First of all, this is the National Tourism Development Project, but we now understand that these measures need to be significantly bolstered. Expert communication needs to be further intensified, and this Forum really helps.”
Vladimir Rubtsov, General Director of FUN&SUN:
“The Forum platform itself enables people to build communication with our direct travellers. It’s crucial that the season becomes year-round, so that our travellers can travel all over the country. We will be able to attract investors here. They will be interested in investing and developing existing and new infrastructure around all of our tourism. And then the trend will be constant, lively, and interesting for all parties involved.”