Inbound tourism is showing positive dynamics, including through the promotion of a single Russian tourism brand abroad, Discover Russia. Kamchatka has become one of the first regions to join the program, Igor Maksimov, Deputy Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, said at the Travel! forum in the Kamchatka Territory.
“The number of foreign tourists in Kamchatka has increased 1.5 times. The region was one of the first to implement co-branding as part of the Discover Russia program, introducing the “Land of Dragons” route for tourists from China. A tour along this route was organized for 20 Chinese companies. There are 11 such routes in 12 regions of the Russian Federation. The Discover Russia brand will continue to develop as part of the new federal project “Tourist Attractiveness of the Country,” Igor Maksimov said.
Marketing research, educational programs for the regions, the creation of tourism products, as well as the organization of business missions and a unified stand of Russia at key international exhibitions are planned for 2025. The first of them, COTTM, will be held on April 24-26 in Beijing. Companies and regions interested in working with Asia can also participate by submitting applications to the Center for Strategic Research.
Today, regional teams have joined the efforts to attract foreign guests. When forming travel products for foreign travelers, subjects should focus on several trends. For example, a request for informed travel has been formed, and the proportion of trips with a specific thematic focus is growing. In addition, tourists want to immerse themselves in the culture of recreation areas, try local cuisine. This is reflected, among other things, in the desire to participate in festivals, traditional games and cultural events. A separate new direction is night travel, which is called nocturism — moonlight trips, hunting for the northern lights and night museums.
To promote international tourism, an electronic visa mechanism was launched for citizens of 64 countries and a mechanism for visa-free group trips with China and Iran. The Ministry of Economic Development, together with other agencies, is working to improve entry conditions, including the liberalization of visa requirements and the launch of direct flights.