2023 Archive
The Russian Tourism Forum ‘Let’s Travel!’ was held on June 8–11 in Moscow at VDNH (All-Russia Exhibition Center), Pavilion No. 55, and Industry Square.
Organized by the Roscongress Foundation, the Forum was held with the official support of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the autonomous non-profit organization National Priorities, the Russian Union of Travel Industry, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, the Association of Russian Tour Operators, and other industry associations.
Over 50,000 participants attended the Business Programme and the Festival venue for 4 days of work. The Business Programme included more than 30 sessions, featuring over 240 speakers. This year, 200 participating companies presented 80 booths, some of them with group expositions. This year, all 8 federal districts took part in the Forum, with 40 regions represented at the exhibition. The event's exhibition space covered over 24,000 square meters.
The Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan also presented their national booths. Delegations from Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar, Cuba, the Philippines, Armenia, Serbia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, and Indonesia attended the event.
This year, the Russian Tourism Forum ‘Let’s Travel!’ became the largest tourism festival venue.
Over the four days, Forum guests and participants took part in a colorful kaleidoscope of interactive activities. The Creative Workshop hosted 25 master classes, giving the opportunity to discover the national character and unique features of the participating regions. The master classes included clay figurine making, clay painting with ethnic patterns, various types of weaving, and much more.
The main stage hosted over 65 events, including concerts by performing groups, presentations of national tourist routes, an event tourism calendar, and a culinary map of Russia. The Festival stage of the Forum, in addition to a vibrant concert programme, featured particularly a presentation of the event tourism calendar and national tourist routes being developed under the national project Tourism. Furthermore, Forum visitors had the opportunity to participate in culinary master classes on national tourist routes, as well as an interactive game where they could assemble two puzzle maps: the first was a large map with regions of Russia, and the second was a culinary map of Russia.
The Dream Journey quest offered an opportunity to explore the regions of Russia represented at the Forum. Over 1,300 guests participated in the quest, winning 53 prizes, including various travel accessories and even trips within Russia and abroad.
At the opening ceremony, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, addressed the Forum participants:
“President Vladimir Putin has set the goal of accelerating the development of tourism infrastructure and creating accessible and comfortable conditions for our citizens to relax. As part of the national project Tourism and Hospitality Industry, the Russian Government is providing regions and businesses with the necessary tools to achieve these goals. Approximately 50 billion rubles will be allocated from the federal budget to support the tourism sector in 2023. This will allow us to create new hotel rooms, to support entrepreneurial initiatives, to develop national tourist routes, and to provide free educational trips for our schoolchildren and young people. The Russian Tourism Forum 'Let’s Travel!' is timed to coincide with the start of the tourist season. Traditionally, it serves as a discussion platform for leading industry experts. Representatives of the regions of Russia are personally participating in the Forum, recognizing the importance of developing the tourism sector, which unites more than 50 industries and stimulates regional economic growth. Following the Forum's Business Programme, we expect participants to come up with tangible proposals for developing tourism in Russia.”
Anton Kobyakov, advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, noted:
“Today, the Russian tourism industry faces a challenging strategic issue. Despite current global trends in foreign policy, we continue establishing and strengthening international relations, in particular through our culture and hospitality. We always welcome guests from friendly countries, and we are also waiting for tourists from all continents. We have no unfriendly nationalities or peoples! We are creating a positive agenda within the country, which will stimulate the development of international business relations. The Russian Tourism Forum ‘Let’s Travel!’ is one of the most successful formats to address not only national, but also international issues. It is no coincidence that among the Forum's guests, there were representatives from Myanmar, Cuba, the Philippines, Armenia, Serbia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and other countries. Congress and exhibition activities have become part of the tourism industry, serving national goals. The topic of developing domestic and international tourism will be continued at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.”
Vladimir Zatynaiko, Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation and Director of the Russian Tourism Forum ‘Let’s Travel!’:
“By all the laws of the event industry, the Forum and the Exhibition, as tools for addressing strategic issues, have a delayed and even cumulative effect. All the new contacts, experience, and knowledge gained here will be relevant for a long time and will have a positive economic impact on participants at all levels and in all areas. But today, here and now, I can confidently say that the event was a success. The ‘Let’s Travel!’ Forum is a unique project of the Roscongress Foundation: it is the only event in Russia that combines the formats of a forum, a festival, and an exhibition. Visitors could attend the Festival, which took place at the heart of Moscow, with all their families, choose a trip, and simply have a good, enjoyable time, while businesses could promote their products. The event is also important for government officials at various levels. Here, representatives of the tourism industry have a voice and every chance to be heard, while the authorities receive an objective response, honest feedback, and establish partnerships to address industry issues at the national level.”
During the preparation and holding of the 2023 ‘Let’s Travel!’ Forum, more than 2,800 reports were published in Russian and international media, including leading federal news channels such as Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Argumenty i Fakty, Avtoradio, NTV TV channel, Rossiya 24 TV channel, and the online publications Lenta.ru and Gazeta.ru, and others.
