Recap of the 6th ‘Let’s Travel!’ International Tourism Forum 2026: over 510,000 visitors, every region of Russia, and more than 50 countries

The 6th ‘Let’s Travel!’ International Tourism Forum was held in Moscow at VDNH from 10 to 14 June. Successfully bringing together a business programme, a large-scale exhibition and a rich festival programme, the Forum served as a key platform for the development of the industry and for introducing guests to the tourist potential of Russia’s regions and foreign countries. The 6th ‘Let’s Travel!’ International Tourism Forum was organized by the Roscongress Foundation jointly with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Moscow City Tourism Committee.

“Today, tourism is not merely one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, but also an instrument of soft power and a tool of shaping an objective image of Russia in the world. The appeal of our country is being enhanced by measures under the Tourism and Hospitality national project, including the creation of new hotels and tourist routes. The result is growth in both domestic and inbound tourist flows. The ‘Let’s Travel!’ International Forum serves as an annual indicator of interest among Russian and foreign citizens in travelling around Russia. This year, its stands were visited by over 510,000 people, nearly 80,000 more than last year. The business programme was attended by representatives of all regions of Russia and over 50 countries compared with 30 countries in 2025,” said Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The Forum’s business programme was structured around three components – product, infrastructure, and promotion – and served as a space for developing practical solutions for the advancement of the tourism industry. It brought together around 5,000 participants. Across 69 sessions and discussions, 343 speakers took the floor, among them representatives of federal and regional authorities, tour operators, infrastructure companies, and industry associations. Discussions covered key trends, government support measures and new formats of inter-regional and international cooperation. Particular attention was devoted to the creation of a comfortable environment for tourists, the development of transport accessibility and the promotion of national tourist routes. 107 agreements were signed at the venue. A ‘Day Planner’ networking service was made available to business programme participants, enabling delegates and industry representatives to find new partners and hold business meetings during the Forum. Over three days of operation, 285 individual meetings took place, and 206 representatives of businesses and government organizations from Russia and abroad took part in 8 group networking sessions.

“The ‘Let’s Travel!’ Forum has set the direction for the dynamic development of the entire tourism industry, which is demonstrating steady progress across all key indicators: the share of tourism in the country’s GDP, growth in the number of domestic tourist trips and inbound tourism, and others. The Forum has vividly demonstrated the results of the implementation of the Tourism and Hospitality national project, whose goal is to increase the role of the tourism industry in the country’s economy and to grow the number of tourist trips to 140 million by 2030,” said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the ‘Let’s Travel!’ International Tourism Forum.

The exhibition featured 74 territories of Russia, including the Jewish Autonomous Region, which participated with its own stand for the first time, as well as 12 foreign states. Making their debut at the international exhibition were the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Nicaragua, and Myanmar. The exhibition introduced guests to the tourist routes, culture, and traditions of the participating regions and countries. The stands hosted fairs and tastings of local produce, from caviar and watermelons to Abkhazian cheeses and Thai sweets, as well as masterclasses in traditional crafts, including porcelain painting, toy-making and jewellery.

The Forum’s festival programme offered visitors of all ages a space for travel, discovery, and new impressions. Over five days, the venue was visited by more than 510,000 people. In 2026, the ‘Let’s Travel!’ Forum joined the ‘Summer in Moscow’ project programme for the first time, becoming one of its largest tourist venues. A total of 1,854 events and activities were prepared for visitors: concerts and performances on the Main Stage, where the ceremonial opening of the Kite Festival also took place, lectures and meetings in the Grand Lecture Hall, and masterclasses in the Retreat Zone. Guests of the Forum were also offered tours by members of the ‘Meaningful Guides’ community of the Rosmolodezh’s ‘More Than a Trip’ programme. Over five days, 152 guided tours were conducted with 2,513 participants. The programme included 131 general tours of the Forum venue attended by 2,334 guests, as well as special itineraries for official and international delegations.

“Tourism is one of the most promising sectors of the Russian economy, with a powerful multiplier effect. The industry engages adjacent sectors – transport, catering, services, and local production – making it one of the most attractive areas for investment. Recognizing this potential, the state is providing maximum support to the sector, creating favourable conditions for both tourists and businesses. The Tourism and Hospitality national project is aimed at developing a high-quality urban environment, navigation and logistical connectivity, as well as expanding the diversity of tourist products in Russia. Federal support measures, including infrastructure development and the adoption of necessary regulatory decisions, are responding to growing demand. The ‘Let’s Travel!’ International Tourism Forum is confirmation of this trend,” said Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

The sporting component was integrated into the Forum programme on a significant scale for the first time. Around 2,500 people took part in phygital rides at the stand of the Ladoga Gold international multi-stage cycling race, which was held from 25 to 31 May along the roads of the Republic of Karelia, the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg. Olympic medallists and Ladoga Gold ambassadors, cross-country skier Alexander Panzhinskiy and racing cyclist Anastasia Voinova, took part in the stand’s activities. Over 1,000 people took part in 5 km and 10 km runs across the VDNH grounds, organized by the All-Russian Athletics Federation with the support of the Roscongress Foundation’s sports platform. Visitors to the exhibition were offered engaging sports activities at the stands of the Table Tennis Federation of Russia, the Sports Tourism Federation of Russia and the Golf Association of Russia.

An important part of the festival programme was the Mobile Guide, a digital service of the Forum that helped guests navigate the venue, find stands and events of interest, explore the programme and discover special offers from participants. The service was used by 25,000 people.

Follow Forum news on the official event website at rustravelforum.com/media/news and on the MAX messenger at max.ru/puteshestvuj.

Guest Сountry – China
Title Partner – Yandex Travel
General Partner – А7 Russian International Settlement System
Official Partners: WB Travel, FUN&SUN
Mountain Partner: Kavkaz.RF
Partners: Cosmos Hotel Group, Federal Passenger Company
Innovation Partner: Alfa-Bank
Infrastructure Partner: PSB Bank
Partner Region: Kaliningrad Region
Green Partner: Sberbank
Communications Partner: The Maer Media Holding
Agritourism Sponsor: Russian Agricultural Bank
Festival Partners: Arnest UniRus (Magnat ice cream brand), Okko
General Business Programme Partner: TUTU
Business Programme Partners: Aviasales, Avito Travel, Aeroclub, Rosatom Energy of Development, ATOM Museum, Visit Russia, Sverdlovsk Region, Four Paws
Session Partners: DOM.RF Bank, JSC SME Bank, Ozon Travel, Т-Travel
Participant Awards Ceremony Partner: La Bottega
Quest Partner: Brick Labs
Organizing Partners: VDNH, Jonjoli, Mosvolonter Resource Centre
Official Suppliers: Vkusy Mira, Holding Aqua, LaVita, WOOLCAM
Meaningful Guide: Rosmolodezh ‘More Than a Trip’ Programme
Official Partner Hotels: Garden Ring Hotel, Safmar Plaza, Hanoi-Moscow Apart-Hotel