Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum.

Your Forum is deservedly regarded as a key industry event and an exciting, highly anticipated event for numerous fans of active leisure. An extensive exposition along with business and festival programmes provide participants and guests with an opportunity to learn about various types of recreation and discover new tourist routes on the map of our vast country.

I am glad that tourism in Russia has been rapidly developing in recent years and become a major factor in bolstering the economic and infrastructural potential of villages, cities, and entire regions. It helps to find successful solutions to important issues concerning education and enlightenment, the patriotic education of youth, and the preservation of our rich historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage. And, of course, the tourism industry creates conditions to expand entrepreneurial and creative initiatives, as well as growth in such related areas as construction, catering, healthcare, and trade. New jobs are being created, hotels, cafes, and restaurants are being built, popular recreation areas are being improved, exciting sightseeing tours are being developed, and interesting souvenirs are being produced.

I am confident that your Forum will be held at a dignified level, and its decisions will contribute to the creation of a modern, civilized tourism market in Russia, and improvements to the quality and accessibility of the services provided.

I wish you all the very best.

Dear Forum Participants,
Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. The government and business are creating conditions for affordable and comfortable recreation within the country. The Let’s Travel! Forum brought together experts and participants to outline further development paths for tourism and tell visitors more about our country and its unique sites. The Forum was a landmark event that brought together more than 3,000 participants from all corners of our country and from 30 other countries. More than half a million guests visited the Forum, a ten-fold increase from last year. More than 3,500 people took advantage of the special offers and promotions available to exhibition guests. The growing interest in domestic tourism is helping to achieve the goal set by the Russian president to increase the tourist flow to 140 million trips per year by 2030.

Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Today, tourism is one of the main drivers of the Russian economy. The hospitality industry has a positive effect on related industries by stimulating the development of manufacturing, trade, public catering, and transport.

Our country has enormous potential for tourism. The main goal is to maximize it and accelerate the thorough development of the industry so that millions of our tourists as well as foreign tourists can comfortably and pleasantly travel around Russia.

To achieve this, the government is implementing support measures to provide entrepreneurs with funding to develop infrastructure, build hotels and glamping sites, and create new routes and tourist attractions.

In order for the industry to fully meet people’s diverse needs, the state and business must regularly maintain a dialogue and come up with relevant solutions to develop the industry, taking into account the new challenges and trends.

This is precisely the opportunity that the Let’s Travel! Forum provides. Here, participants engage in productive discussions and agree to launch projects. In addition, travel enthusiasts learn about new tourist routes and attractions, and often rediscover a country that is unique in terms of its natural and cultural diversity.

I hope that all the Forum participants and guests are able to work productively, develop new projects, and come away with memorable impressions!

See you at the Forum!

Dear Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Ministry for Hotels and Tourism of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and congratulations to the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and all the organizers on holding the 4th Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum. It is a great honour for me to be invited to take part in this major international event. I know that the Forum will be attended by more than 50,000 guests, including delegations from 11 countries and 70 regions of Russia. I am confident that it will provide participants with unique advantages and opportunities for a deeper understanding of the tourism potential, cultural wealth, and gastronomic traditions of different countries.

In recent years, Myanmar and Russia have bolstered their diplomatic relations by regularly exchanging views at a high level and intensifying cooperation in various sectors. Among them, tourism stands out as one of the most promising areas of cooperation between our countries. To attract more Russian tourists to Myanmar, we have launched the Welcome Russia programme. This initiative, which is based on valuable advice from our Russian friends, has made significant progress. As part of the programme, a successful study tour was organized in October 2023 for 43 representatives of licensed outbound tour operators, public figures, and broadcast media from the Russian Federation. The goal of the trip was to promote Myanmar’s tourism offerings on the Russian market and introduce Russian tourists to the diverse attractions that our country has to offer.

Dear Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to share some thoughts about the tourism landscape of Myanmar. Our country boasts a rich history and a blend of different cultures and influences over the centuries. The country’s geographical diversity, stunning landscapes, and rich biodiversity create an enchanting atmosphere for travellers seeking unique experiences. As of the end of April 2024, we saw an impressive 67% increase in the number of visitors from Russia compared with the same period of 2023. Encouraged by this positive trend, we intend to step up our efforts to attract even more Russian tourists to Myanmar.

To facilitate the entry of visitors from the Russian Federation, Myanmar granted a one-year visa exemption to ordinary passport holders from Russia starting from 1 July 2022, which is now being extended on an annual basis. To improve transport links between our countries, Myanmar Airways International launched direct flights between Novosibirsk and Mandalay, the seat of the last dynasty of Myanmar, in the first week of September 2023.

Close cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, embassies, friendship associations, and the private sector has played a key role in achieving these milestones. In particular, during the 8th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, we signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in tourism between our ministry and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Looking to the future, we are exploring opportunities to increase the number of direct flights between our countries, as we aim to increase the mutual flow of visitors and create new business opportunities.

In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your time and participation. I hope the current Tourism Forum serves as a meaningful platform for strengthening friendship and cooperation between the public and private sectors of Myanmar and Russia. Thank you for your attention.