Published on: 2026-06-16
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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From June 10 to 14, the VI International Tourist Forum “Travel!” was held at VDNH in Moscow. It successfully combined a business agenda, a large-scale exhibition exposition, and a rich festival program, becoming a key venue for the development of the industry and for introducing guests to the tourist potential of the regions of Russia and foreign countries. The organizer of the International Tourist Forum “Travel!” was the Roscongress Foundation together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, supported by the Government of the Russian Federation and the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
“Today tourism is not just one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, but also an instrument of ‘soft power,’ a way to form an objective image of Russia in the world. Measures of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality,” including the creation of new hotels and tourist routes, help to increase the attractiveness of our country. As a result, both domestic and inbound tourist flows are growing. The annual indicator of interest among our own and foreign citizens in traveling within Russia is the International Forum “Travel!” This year, its stands were visited by more than 510 thousand people, which is almost 80 thousand more than last year.Representatives of all Russian regions and more than 50 countries took part in the business program. “For comparison, in 2025 — from 30 states,” noted the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko.
The business program of the forum included 3 components: “product”, “infrastructure”, and “promotion.” It attracted about 5 thousand participants and became a space for developing practical solutions for the development of the tourism industry. During 69 sessions and discussions, 343 speakers spoke—representatives of federal and regional authorities, tour operators, infrastructure companies, and industry associations. The discussions touched on key trends, government support measures, and new formats of interregional and international cooperation.Special attention was paid to creating a comfortable environment for tourists, developing transport accessibility, and promoting national tourist routes. At the venue, 107 agreements were signed. For participants of the business program, a networking service “Daily Planner” was implemented, allowing delegates and industry representatives to find new partners and hold business meetings within the framework of the forum. Over three days of operation, the venue hosted 285 individual meetings, and 206 representatives of businesses and government organizations from Russia and foreign countries took part in 8 group networking sessions.
The “Travel!” Forum set the vector for dynamic development of the entire tourism sector, which demonstrates stable growth in all key indicators. This includes the share of tourism in the country’s GDP, the growth in the number of domestic trips and inbound tourism, and other indicators.The forum clearly demonstrated the results of the implementation of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality,” the goal of which is to increase the role of the tourism sector in the country’s economy and to increase the number of tourist trips to 140 million by 2030,” emphasized the Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation; Anton Kobyakov, Secretary of the Organizational Committee of the International Tourism Forum “Travel!”.
The exhibition featured 74 regions of Russia, including the Jewish Autonomous Region, participating with their own stand for the first time, as well as 12 foreign countries. The debutants of the international exposition included the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Nicaragua, and Myanmar. The exhibition introduced guests to tourist routes, culture, and traditions of the regions and participating countries.Fairs and tastings of local products were held at the stand – from caviar and watermelons to Abkhazian cheeses and Thai sweets, as well as master classes on folk crafts, including porcelain painting, making toys and jewelry.
The festival program of the forum became a space for journeys, discoveries, and new impressions for guests of all ages. Over five days, the venue was visited by more than 510 thousand people. In 2026, the “Travel!” forum for the first time included the “Summer in Moscow” project in its program, becoming one of its largest tourist sites. Around 2 thousand events and activities were prepared for visitors. On the main stage, there were concerts and performances, as well as the grand opening of the kite festival. In the Large Lecture Hall, lectures and meetings took place, while in the retreat zone there were master classes.For forum guests, an excursion route from representatives of the community “Semantic Guides. Excursionists” of the Rosmolodezh program “More than a journey” was also operating. Over five days, 152 excursions were conducted, with 2513 participants. Within the program, 131 overview excursions around the forum site were held, viewed by 2334 guests. Special routes for official and international delegations were also prepared by the organizers.
“Tourism is one of the most promising industries of the Russian economy with a powerful multiplier effect. This industry involves related sectors: transport, public catering, the service sector, and local production, which makes it one of the most attractive areas for capital investment. Recognizing this potential, the state maximally supports the industry, creating favorable conditions both for tourists and for business.”The national project “Tourism and Hospitality” is aimed at developing a high-quality urban environment, navigation, and logistical connectivity, as well as expanding the variety of tourist products in Russia. The response to the growing demand is federal support measures, including infrastructure development and the adoption of necessary regulatory decisions. Confirmation of this trend was the International Tourism Forum “Travel!”, noted the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Maksim Reshetnikov.
For the first time, the sports component was massively integrated into the forum’s program. About 2,500 people took part in the fidget race at the booth of the international multi-day cycling race “Gold of Ladoga,” which took place from May 25 to 31 along the roads of the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast, and Saint Petersburg. Prize winners of the Olympic Games, ambassadors of “Gold of Ladoga,” skier Alexander Panzhinsky and cyclist Anastasia Voinova participated in the work of the booth.More than 1,000 people participated in the 5 and 10 km runs on the territory of VDNH, organized by the All-Russian Athletics Federation with the support of the sports platform of the Roscongress Foundation. Interesting sports activities for exhibition visitors were offered at the stands of the Russian Table Tennis Federation, the Russian Sports Tourism Federation, and the Russian Golf Association.
An important part of the festival program was the Mobile Guide – a digital forum service that helped guests navigate the venue, visit interesting stands and events, study the program and special offers from participants. The service was used by 25 thousand people.
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