New development priorities for tourism outlined at the XXI Congress of the Russian Union of Travel Industry

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Strategic initiatives for tourism development, strengthening regional infrastructure and promoting Russia as both a domestic and international travel destination were the focus of the XXI Congress of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST). On 20 November, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted a joint plenary meeting of the State Council Commission of the Russian Federation on Tourism and the Russian Union of Travel Industry.

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to the participants of the congress. His address was read out by Governor of the Primorye region and Chairman of the State Council Commission on Tourism Oleg Kozhemyako.

"In our country, educational tourism, sightseeing and health-resort services have a rich history spanning several centuries. It is gratifying that today, thanks in large part to the fruitful and constructive efforts of the RST, the best industry traditions are carefully preserved and developed. And we can see significant results: modern hotels, cafés and restaurants are being built, new jobs are being created, and conditions are being shaped to stimulate business activity in the hospitality, construction and transport sectors. Much is being done to revive and support traditional crafts, restore cultural heritage sites, improve the quality and accessibility of tourism services and train qualified personnel. The tourism industry itself is becoming one of the key drivers of strengthening the infrastructural and socio-economic potential of cities, towns and entire regions," the head of state noted in his greeting.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko also sent his greetings, which were read out by President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Ilya Umansky.

"Developing domestic tourism is one of the key national priorities. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has instructed us to create conditions for expanding tourist flows and rapidly developing modern tourism infrastructure in the country. The Government of the Russian Federation, together with the regions and the industry, is combining its efforts to ensure the systematic development of the tourism sector," Dmitry Chernyshenko said in his address.

Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov outlined the key trends, challenges and prospects facing the tourism sector.

Maxim Reshetnikov emphasised that Russia remains a popular destination for foreign travellers. Under the President's instructions, inbound tourist flows will need to increase by six million over the next four years, in addition to the current five million visitors. This growth will primarily come from tourists from China, India, the Gulf states and East Asia. According to him, visitor numbers from these countries have increased one-and-a-half times over the past two years, supported by the easing of visa requirements.

The Minister recalled that a decree on mutual visa-free travel with China for one year had been signed, and work continues with India on introducing visa-free group travel.

The meeting also addressed tourism development in the Russian regions. Niche segments — such as ecotourism and cultural and educational rural tourism — can become effective tools for balancing regional development, according to Governor of the Primorye region and Chairman of the State Council Commission on Tourism Oleg Kozhemyako. He noted that these areas allow regions with still-developing infrastructure to compete by leveraging their unique natural and cultural assets, attracting investment and creating new points of growth.

"The Commission found that information on many areas of tourism in the regions is fragmented. Therefore, it was decided to launch regional monitoring, which made it possible to identify 'blind spots' in tourism development. The monitoring results highlighted several key areas. It is necessary to bridge the information gap — both in terms of the lack of data and its quality. This is particularly important for strategic project planning and managerial decision-making. Each group of indicators is directly linked to public administration tasks and makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of support measures — for example, subsidised tours, data on the export of tourism services and others," said Oleg Kozhemyako.

He explained that monitoring is not a competition between regions, but an instrument for assessing the current state and development dynamics of the tourism industry, for identifying bottlenecks and growth points, and for improving the efficiency of using existing potential. According to him, the boundaries of the tourism industry are gradually expanding, confirming its multiplier effect. Modern market dynamics require technological development and the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, he added.

Sangadzhi Tarbayev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development, noted that the current development of the tourism industry in Russia requires updating the legislative framework.

"In cooperation with the industry regulator, we have succeeded in adopting a number of important laws that will become the foundation of the future federal law on tourism. They concern the legal regulation of accommodation facilities, staffing for the tourism sector, the development of new basic definitions and more. This year can confidently be considered one of the most productive in terms of updating tourism legislation — seven laws have already been adopted by the State Duma, and three more are nearing completion. All the adopted and drafted laws follow the logic of updating the legislative framework in the field of tourism. We intentionally chose the approach of forming a portfolio of laws rather than a sudden overhaul of legislation, securing the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and the involvement of the expert community. This ensures a smooth, seamless transition for the industry to a new stage of regulation," said Sangadzhi Tarbayev.

The Russian Travel Industry Congress is traditionally held once every three years and brings together representatives of all segments of the tourism industry — tour operators, hoteliers, aggregators, media, universities, travel agents and many others. During the event, delegates determine the main areas of the RUTI’s work for the coming years and discuss the most pressing and current issues facing the tourism industry.

The congress is taking place from 19 to 21 November and features an expanded programme before and after the main session: on 19 November, delegates were offered nine excursions to choose from — from museum visits and observation deck walks to themed tours around VDNH and a musical; and on 21 November — an introduction to Russian horse breeds, architectural routes and contemporary museum spaces.