Programme

Destination Russia – Shifting Trends Towards Domestic and Incoming Tourism

RUSSIAN ECONOMIC AGENDA
Panel Session
Pavilion G, Conference Hall G3

Tourism is a sector demonstrating sustained growth and ranks third amongst global export sectors. The tourism industry accounts for 7% of global exports overall, and almost one third of global services exports. The number of international trips is growing by an average of 4% every year. In addition, tourism produces a powerful synergistic effect. The rising tourist flow is ensuring increased revenues for 53 economic sectors which contribute to creating the tourism product, multiplying employment and self-employment, assisting in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and involving them in export activity, improving living conditions for local populations, and smoothing imbalances in regional development. Russia has become one of the ten most visited countries in the world, and in 2016 was ranked forty-third in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, moving up two places compared with the previous year and overtaking Turkey. What needs to be done to maintain this positive trend and consolidate Russia’s position on the global tourism market?

Moderator:
Maxim Filimonov , Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Editor, TASS Russia

Panellists:
Dirk Ahlborn , Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies
Sergey Bachin , Chief Executive Officer, Agranta Group; General Director, Roza Khutor
Olivier Gremillon , Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Airbnb Inc.
Fang Liu , Secretary General, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Gernot Leitner , General Director, Masterconcept
Klaus Mangold , Chairman of the Supervisory Board, TUI
Dmitry Mironov , Acting Governor of Yaroslavl Region
Svetlana Orlova , Governor of Vladimir Region
Dmitry Pavlov , Vice President, PJSFC Sistema; Chairman of the Board of Directors, Cosmos Group
Georgy Poltavchenko , Governor of St. Petersburg
Oleg Safonov , Head, Russian Federal Agency for Tourism

Front row participants:
Petr Ivanov , General Director, Federal Passenger Company
Ruslan Novikov , General Director, Argumenty i Fakty

Broadcast

Key moments

Tourism is developing at a steady pace in our country. We are absolutely confident that there will be no shocks whatsoever on the tourism market in 2017.
Oleg Safonov
Head, Russian Federal Agency for Tourism
It’s an important thing to continue to invest into technology, into innovation. It’s important for the governments to support the companies like us, like Airbnb and all the other startups, to create regulations and to facilitate those kind of innovation and technology. And that will help overall tourism.
Dirk Ahlborn
Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies
It’s crucial to create a simpler way for people to move and communicate and, specifically, for tourists who don’t speak any other language.
Dirk Ahlborn
Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies
As we talk about developing tourism in the Russian Federation, we understand that tourism is developing in all 85 regions of our country. A very important positive dynamic of domestic tourism and travel is being observed.
Oleg Safonov
Head, Russian Federal Agency for Tourism
Following a slew of bankruptcies in 2014, we have set up mechanisms to protect our tourists, including those travelling abroad. We have not allowed any more mass bankruptcies.
Oleg Safonov
Head, Russian Federal Agency for Tourism
I believe in a bright future for Russian tourism and it’s very important to get private investors on board.
Svetlana Orlova
Governor of Vladimir Region
We have introduced visa-free entry for 72 hours for passengers on tourist vessels and cruise ships coming to our city from Europe.
Georgy Poltavchenko
Governor of St. Petersburg