Cooperation between Russia and Africa in the field of tourism was discussed at the RUSSIA EXPO

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Participants of the strategic session "Russia — Africa: Strategic Cooperation for Tourism Development and Socio-Economic Growth" discussed the possibilities of Russian-African tourism cooperation. The session took place at the RUSSIA EXPO as part of the Russian Tourism Forum "Travel!"

In particular, the discussion focused on potential tourist destinations, mechanisms of cooperation to create a favorable investment and business environment in the tourism sector, tourist preferences, and infrastructure development.

The event also featured a round table "Promoting Conglomerates for Sustainable Tourism Development", where experts exchanged experiences and best practices in tourism promotion, discussed development strategies for this sector on the African continent, and explored modern technologies and digital innovations serving the industry.

Foreign guests agreed that developing partnerships in the field of tourism is important for both Russia and the African continent, as it will unlock the economic potential of the regions and create opportunities for cultural exchange.

"The cooperation between Russia and African countries is currently developing at a very dynamic pace. Last year, Africa surpassed North and South America as a destination for Russian exports, with statistics showing it reached over 21 billion US dollars. By 2030, we plan to increase our mutual trade. There is no doubt that Africa will soon become the largest market and one of the main points of global growth, including in the field of tourism," emphasized Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

He also noted that Russian citizens are already actively visiting African countries.

"Although they mainly choose popular tourist destinations like Tunisia or Egypt, interest in individual destinations and other countries is also increasing. For Russian tourists, comfortable accommodation, convenient transfers, and safety play a primary role. Therefore, it is important to create high-quality tourist products, promote them correctly in our market, and simultaneously establish vacation standards in African countries," concluded Nikita Kondratyev.

Barbara Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe, spoke about the beauty of the African continent and the importance of building strong tourism and other ties between Africa and Russia.

"In 2023, we saw a 43% increase in tourist flow, and domestic financial revenues grew by 7%, with this growth continuing. The arrival of tourists from Russia is still moderate, although we are seeing a slight increase here as well, thanks to our interaction with foreign colleagues. Most Russian tourists come to our country on business visits, but we want to stimulate growth in the tourism and hospitality sectors to maximize the number of visits by both Russian tourists to Africa and African tourists to Russia," stated Barbara Rwodzi.

The tourist potential of her home region was presented by the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Resorts, Tourism, and Olympic Heritage of the Krasnodar region, Elena Logunova.

"Last year, we were visited by over 18.5 million tourists. In the first five months of this year, we have already received 4 million guests, and during the summer season, we expect another 10 million tourists. The Krasnodar region is ready to accommodate such a number of guests, as we have around 11,000 accommodation facilities, and every year we open new ones — mostly 4 and 5-star hotels. And thanks to investments, we expect to increase the tourist flow by 3.5 million tourists annually until 2030. Our beaches, cable cars, ski slopes, rural, ecological and wine tourism, wellness programs, as well as tourist routes for sports enthusiasts and families with children, are traditionally popular," said Elena Logunova.

The Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the Russian Federation, Mohamed Yongawo, emphasized that Africa is home to very kind, peaceful and hospitable people.

"Of course, although our country is small, it is incredibly beautiful, and Russian tourists have often exclaimed to me in surprise: 'How can you hide such beauty?' Therefore, we need to improve transport opportunities and create strong alliances between our countries. We have culture, we have nature, but we probably lack transport. And you can even visit all African countries without visas because visas are needed for strangers, and for friends, they do not exist. Let’s break down barriers," urged Mohamed Yongawo.

The strategic session and the round table were also attended by the Minister of Tourism of Equatorial Guinea, Prudencio Botey Sobole, the Acting Chargé d'Affaires of the Republic of Kenya in the Russian Federation, Irene Maswan, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities of Uganda, Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, the General Director of ART-TOUR, Dmitry Arutyunov, the General Director of Explore Africa Safaris and member of the Sustainable Tourism Development Commission of the African Tourism Board (ATB), Francis Mugoga, the Deputy General Director of Fun&Sun, Alexander Sirchenko, and others.

The IV Russian Tourism Forum "Travel!" is held at the International RUSSIA EXPO from June 12 to 16, 2024. The organizer is the Roscongress Foundation. The forum is held with the official support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, ANO "National Priorities", Centre for Strategic Research and leading industry associations.

The business program, consisting of 40 sessions, involves more than 250 speakers. It is expected that over five days of the forum, the site will be visited by more than 500,000 guests, including representatives from 20 foreign countries. The exposition will feature more than 500 participants from 89 regions of Russia.

Detailed information on the business and festival program, as well as the mobile guide, is available on the official website: rustravelforum.com.