Author: Vladimir Zatynaiko

Tags: ITF "Let's Travel!", Tourism

Vladimir Zatynaiko, Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation, Director of the Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum 

The Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum has become a key industry platform in recent years. What do you see as its main mission today? What roles does the Forum play in shaping long-term development strategies in tourism and uniting the professional community?

For us, Let’s Travel! is, first and foremost, a space of trust and shared thinking. Tourism is one of the most sensitive and promising sectors of the economy today. As such, it requires a platform where its challenges can be discussed and debated openly and honestly, where compromises can be sought and solutions found. The Forum’s mission is to unite the industry and help transform ideas into working mechanisms and strategic guidelines into concrete projects. We strive to shape a coherent agenda, a shared vision for the future of tourism in Russia.

The platform represents an opportunity to align the views of the state, regions, and businesses, ensure the continuity of decisions, and set priorities for years to come. Let’s Travel! creates an environment where the professional community can discuss the latest developments in the sector and work together to shape the rules, meanings, and areas of tourism development, thus strengthening the industry as a unified ecosystem.

Let’s Travel! utilizes various interaction formats – B2B, B2C, G2C, and B2G. What, in your opinion, makes the Forum unique in this regard? What opportunities does this model offer to participants?

This is a multi-audience model that offers participants unique opportunities: businesses and regions receive direct feedback from tourists and the government; the authorities gain an insight into the real needs of the market and consumers; and tourists have a say in the development of tourism products and services. This cross-dialogue allows us to not only discuss solutions but also immediately see their potential impact – from adjusting regulatory approaches to improving user experience. This is the kind of environment that gives rise to the most sustainable and sought-after ideas – ideas that can bring long-term success. The only way for tourism to work is by taking the interests of all parties into account.

What are the key challenges the team faces when organizing the Let’s Travel! Forum? And what do you think the most important criteria for a successful forum are? How do you balance business topics, practical case studies, and the interests of different players?

Preparation for the Forum is an ongoing, multi-level process that is built on constant dialogue with government bodies, regions, businesses, and the expert community. We deal with very different requests and expectations, so one of the team’s key tasks is to bring them together into a unified, logical, and meaningful agenda. It is imperative that the programme is not abstract: we listen carefully to market participants and fill the Forum with topics and cases that reflect current market needs.

The main criterion for the success of the Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum is its practical results. We evaluate the Forum based on the agreements, contacts, and decisions participants leave with, and on what happens next – whether projects are launched, approaches are changed, and whether professional dialogue continues. We consciously balance the business agenda, practical case studies, and the interests of different players through a combination of strategic sessions, working formats, and the Forum’s accessibility to ordinary visitors. This allows all stakeholders – from government officials to entrepreneurs, experts, and tourists – to find meaning and practical value in the Forum.

What is the value of the Forum for B2C and G2C? And how does this dialogue impact the development of tourism as a whole?

For visitors, the Let’s Travel! is an opportunity to see the country in its true diversity, discover new destinations, ways of holidaying, and regions that might have remained under the radar in the past. For us, it is absolutely essential that the tourist’s voice is heard on an equal footing with those of business and government, because it is the end user who shapes demand in terms of the quality, service, and content of travel experiences. This is why, in addition to the business programme, we are developing a festival platform – a space for direct communication where people can visit regional stands, ask questions, get specific information, and go to the lecture hall to gain a deeper understanding of domestic and outbound tourism.

The type of dialogue in G2C and B2C formats directly influences the development of tourism as a whole: it increases trust and engagement and fosters a culture of responsible travel. When the professional community sees the audience’s reaction, receives feedback, and learns about their expectations in real time, the industry begins to develop in a more sustainable manner – with a focus on experiences, comfort, and long-term value for people and territories.

Speaking of the future: How do you see the development of the Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum in the years to come? What changes in the industry would you like to come out of this work?

As I see it, Let’s Travel! is a point of support, a touchstone for the entire tourism industry – a place where the development agenda is shaped for both the short and long term. For us, it is important that the Forum operates as an ongoing thing, rather than just once a year: by recording agreements, supporting initiatives, and returning to key topics at each progressive stage.

In the coming years, we will tighten the Forum’s practical focus, develop its international presence, expand regional participation, and engage new audiences. What we would like this work to lead to is a tourism industry that is more sustainable, more technologically advanced, and more focused on people – where tourism becomes a mechanism for the comprehensive development of territories, the economy, and the quality of life. And we would like to see the Forum itself become a space where this future is more than just a topic of discussion but is consistently designed and created through the joint efforts of all participants.