The legendary Golden Ring of Russia tourist route is undergoing a major rehaul ahead of its 60th anniversary in 2027 to become a national tourism ecosystem. The concept for the updated route includes expanding the number of places of interest to 49. The project will be discussed at the Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum organized by the Roscongress Foundation. The Forum is known for bringing together regions, federal government bodies, and representatives of the tourism industry.

Instead of the usual nine-city tour, the route will take in dozens of historical, cultural, and natural sites – from ancient capitals and merchant towns to national parks and villages in the Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Moscow, Tver, and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as the Lake Pleshcheyevo and Meshchyora national parks.

As Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko noted in the official Government statement: “The proposed expansion will go a long way to increasing the tourist attractiveness of the Golden Ring regions and achieving the goal set by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin – to ensure that tourism accounts for 5% of the country’s GDP by 2030, and that the number of tourist trips increases to 140 million.” The Tourism and Hospitality national project is already doing its part to help develop the Golden Ring regions, having organized dozens of investment projects in hotel infrastructure, amusement parks, and multifunctional tourist complexes.

The new look Golden Ring of Russia will be a topic of discussion at the Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum as an example of how a classic tourism brand can be transformed into a line of contemporary products that meet the needs of today’s travellers. It is not simply about expanding the geography of the route; it is also about diversifying how people travel and at what pace: by car, river and rail routes, tours based around attending specific events, gastro-tours, pilgrimages, and “low-key” tourism in small towns.

Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov stressed that the Forum serves as a key rallying point for large-scale tourism initiatives: “The Golden Ring is an example of how a classic tourism brand gains new content and scale. It is of fundamental importance to us that projects like these are presented at the Let’s Travel! Forum, where strategic decisions are made, cooperation between regions and businesses is built, and the foundations for the long-term development of domestic tourism are laid.”

Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Dmitry Vakhrukov added: “Now, it is an entire travel ecosystem where you can choose the pace, the format, and the theme of your trip: from a pilgrimage to Diveyevo to a gastronomic weekend in Vyatskoye. We combine a powerful brand with modern developments to create a truly personalized and unforgettable travel experience.” The new concept for the route focuses on personalized travel and freedom of choice: tourists will be able to plot their own travel itineraries, combine major cities with authentic small towns, artisan centres, and natural locations.

For the Let’s Travel! International Tourism Forum, the development of the Golden Ring is not only a landmark infrastructure project; it is a crucial stage in the comprehensive development of the regions. It demonstrates how a unified brand, coupled with government support and investment, can unlock the tourism potential of these regions, create new jobs, preserve cultural heritage, and improve the quality of life in small towns.