Moscow Mayor announces plans for domestic tourism development

The capital has approved a tourism development program until 2030, Sergei Sobyanin announced in his blog.

The rapid growth of tourism is one of the key trends in the development of the modern city. In 2011–2019, the annual average growth rate was a record 7.2 per cent-one and a half times more than in the world (4.6 per cent).

2019 saw a peak when the capital received a record number of visitors-25.1 million people, of which 5.7 million came from abroad.

The city has also received huge additional income and created new jobs. In the same year, the tourism consumption rate amounted to RUB 1,073 billion, and its share in the gross regional product (GRP) of the capital reached a historical maximum of 5.3 per cent. The city has received RUB 147 billion in tax. In addition, tourism has given an additional impetus to the development of the service sector (trade, catering and others), which mainly includes small and medium-sized businesses.

“Then uninvited guests came to our city: Covid-19 and unprecedented sanctions. The consequences for the tourism industry could have been catastrophic, but Moscow coped with it. Thanks to complex support, we have preserved the tourist infrastructure and personnel. This effort became the key to the rapid recovery of the hospitality industry, which started when the city began to lift Covid restrictions,” wrote the Moscow Mayor.

In 2023, 24.5 million tourists visited Moscow, with the tourist flow coming close to the record year of 2019. It could surpass this figure as early as 2024. Last year, 22.2 million domestic tourists visited the capital, their number exceeding pre-Covid levels.

The tourism consumption turnover for the first time amounted to about RUB 1.3 trillion, and city budget revenues reached RUB 178 billion.

Sergei Sobyanin: 24.5 million people visited Moscow in 2023

The Moscow tourism development program until 2030 focuses on the ways to keep the tourist flow growth taking into account new realities, the potential of domestic and inbound tourism and the future of the capital’s recreation infrastructure and hotel sector.

This project will be a significant contribution to solving the task set by the President of Russia in his address to the Federal Assembly-to double the tourist flow by 2030 (up to 140 million people annually).

It is expected that Moscow will account for 35–40 per cent of the total number of tourists in Russia-52 million people-by 2030. The city will annually welcome approximately 20 million visitors who have only one day in Moscow without an overnight stay.

The capital will make a significant contribution to achieving the national indicator, by attracting tourists and generating a flow of tourists to other regions-Moscow residents account for the largest percentage of tourists of all those traveling around the country.

The tourism industry will be one of the drivers of economic development in Moscow. According to preliminary expert estimates, the industry revenue will grow 2.7 times-up to RUB 3.6 trillion. The contribution to GRP will increase to eight per cent, and the tourism income will increase up to RUB 500 billion.

These goals can only be achieved in close cooperation between the city and business. The Moscow tourism industry involves real professionals. They make the first impression, create unique tours, open restaurants and hotels-new city landmarks-and organize major cultural and business events. The tourism and hospitality industry includes more than 50 segments, and its development depends on overall coordinated work.

Reliance on domestic tourism. Stimulating inbound tourism

The key driver of industry development in the coming years will be domestic tourism again. By 2030, approximately 46 million people from other Russian regions will visit Moscow. That is twice as many as in 2023.

“Moscow is a special city for every Russian tourist. We hope that in six years every Russian will be able to say that they have visited the capital at least once,” wrote Sergei Sobyanin.

Relying on domestic tourism is not an opportunistic decision. This approach will contribute to strengthening ties and friendship between people from different Russian regions. The international practices show that domestic tourism is much more resistant to different fluctuations in economic and political conditions.

“At the same time, we welcome foreign tourists and, together with colleagues from the Russian Government, create favorable conditions for inbound tourism. In 2030, the number of foreign tourists is expected to be six million, mainly from other CIS countries, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and other parts of the world. Moscow will be happy to see every visitor with good intentions. We will make every effort to ensure that our citizens can rediscover the capital, get to know its rich history and priceless cultural heritage, and foreign tourists can feel the beauty, grandeur and hospitality of the Russian capital,” said the Moscow Mayor.

The capital’s advantages in the tourism industry remain unchanged and will only increase. Moscow is a comfortable green city with more than 900 different parks and public gardens. In addition to traditional waterside recreation areas, Moscow boasts new beach areas with swimming pools in parks and festival venues.

Largest business center

Moscow is the city that combines past, present and future. It is the largest transport hub.

The tourist flow growth will be facilitated by the development of the rail frame of the Central Transport Hub, as well as the development of a network of high-speed railways, starting with the route Moscow-Tver-Veliky Novgorod-St. Petersburg.