Moscow is recognizing India’s increasing importance as a key tourism market, particularly in the realm of business travel. Currently, India stands as the sixth-largest source of tourists to the city, with a noticeable surge in Indian business professionals choosing Moscow for their events and conferences. This trend has made business tourism a significant contributor to Moscow’s overall tourism revenue, accounting for a substantial 20% of the city’s tourist traffic.
Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, has recently visited India to solidify relationships with local tourism stakeholders and participate in a major trade event. The Committee aims to deepen its engagement with Indian travelers, recognizing their growing influence in the Russian tourism landscape.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist traffic from India to Moscow was steadily increasing at a rate of 12-15% annually. A key observation made by Kozlov is the strong preference of Indian business professionals for Moscow as a premier location for business events. Not only are business tourists a significant segment of Moscow’s visitors, but approximately 40% of these travelers return to the city with family or friends, highlighting the broader appeal of Moscow beyond business.
In 2022, the Moscow City Tourism Committee reported that China, Turkey, and India were the leading sources of business visitors to Moscow from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Notably, the Asia-Pacific region witnessed a considerable 14% increase in business visits to Moscow.
Facilitating increased travel between Moscow and India, there are currently 10 direct flights daily connecting the two countries, with seven flights to New Delhi and three flights to Goa.
Moscow is further bolstering its MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism by hosting the inaugural Meet Global MICE Congress on October 6th. This event is expected to draw 250 representatives from the business tourism industry across 14 countries, including India, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. India and China are expected to have the largest delegations at this international gathering, emphasizing their critical role in Moscow’s business tourism sector.
