Russia presented its tourism potential under the «Discover Russia» brand at the 7th International Tourism and Travel Exhibition «TravelExpo Ankara»
The National Center for Tourism Development, Russia, presented the country’s holistic image at the international level for the first time under a single national tourism brand “Discover Russia” at the TravelExpo Ankara exhibition on November 14-17. Exhibitors from 30 countries took part in the event.
The Discover Russia stand became one of the main “points of attraction” for the visitors. The guests were greeted by the post-folklore group “Myst” from the Republic of Adygea. The ATOM Museum, “Plaza Garden Moscow Hotel”, “Bon Tour” tour operator, “Grand Hotel Moika 22” (Saint Petersburg), the Ministries of tourism of the Tver Region and the Chechen Republic, “Cosmos Selection Grozny City Hotel”, relevant committees of Tatarstan and Adygea, as well as the State Council, the Entrepreneurship Support Center “My Business” and the “RED Bridge Resort Park Hotel” from the Republic of Adygea presented their tourism products developed specifically for the Turkish tourists. A vibrant presentation of the Russian culture was organized at the Russian House in Ankara.
Among the guests of the stand were the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Vladimir Ilyichev, who visited Ankara for participation in a meeting of the bilateral working group on trade, investment and interregional cooperation, the Director of the Exhibition Bilgin Aygül, the Governor of Ankara Province Vasip Şahin and the Russian Ambassador to Türkiye Alexey Erkhov.
The Board President of Regional Representative of TÜRSAB Cevat Engin Şahin, and the General Manager of a large local tour operatör “BGrupTravel” Muhammet Sarıtaş, expressed interest in cultural tourism in Russia and discussed with the Center the possibility of developing joint tourist routes and organizing advertising tours to Russia in “Moscow + Region” and “St. Petersburg + Region” formats.
The mayor of Anamur, Durmuş Deniz, expressed his willingness to establish investment ties with domestic hotels for the construction of Turkish accommodation facilities in Russia and the Russian ones in Türkiye.
WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TURKISH TOURISTS
Director of the National Center for Tourism Development Ms Yulia Maksutova, during her presentation, cited Russia’s competitive advantages in the global tourism market. “It is no coincidence that it was here that we first presented the tourism potential of our country with the help of a unique visual code – the “Discover Russia” tourism brand. Russian travelers hold a leading position among tourists arriving in Turkey. Now we would also like to create comfortable conditions in our country to increase the number of Turkish tourists: in 2023, they made 82 thousand trips to Russia, in the first half of 2024 – 47 thousand trips. Rich ethnic diversity, 11 time zones, 4 seasons, all religions of the world – Russia is open to the guests of various nationalities and religions,” Maksutova noted.
Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Adygea, the State Committee for Tourism of Tatarstan and the ATOM Museum separately presented their tourism opportunities as well.
“On the sidelines” of the exhibition, a cooperation agreement was also signed between the Center and the Center for Entrepreneurship Support of the Republic of Adygea, which will concentrate their efforts in creating infrastructure for foreign tourists.
As part of the business program, the Center held a round table with representatives of the Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the TÜRSAB, the Ankara Tourism Authority, and the Federation of Hotels in Türkiye. The partners thanked the Center on behalf of the Turkish tourism community for participating in the exhibition. According to them, “for Turkish tourists, the availability of tourist locations and a simplified visa regime play an important role in choosing a holiday destination.” They also reported that their tour operators will be able to tell about the specific features of Turkish tourists during the familiarization trip, which will make it easier for the Center to create their profile.
WE INVITE TURKISH TOUR OPERATORS TO RUSSIA
“After the pandemic, inbound tourism to our country is reviving. Since last year, an electronic visa mechanism has been in effect for citizens of 55 countries, including Türkiye. We are interested in cooperation with government agencies and the business community of Türkiye, in particular, in borrowing their rich experience in the field of sustainable tourism. We invite your tour operators to make a familiarization trip to our country next year,” suggested Yulia Maksutova.
During the negotiations, exhibitors from Adygea, Chechnya and Tatarstan presented niche tourism destinations determined by the cultural and natural features of their regions, “points of attraction” for different categories of tourists and expressed hope for an increase in incoming tourist flows thanks to cooperation with the Russian Center. This will be facilitated by the inclusion of Adygea and Chechnya in the Russian tourist routes catalog in 2025.
“The results of our work at the exhibition lay the foundation for fruitful bilateral cooperation: we agreed with partners on mutual business missions and the organization of familiarization tours to Russia. We hope that this the exhibition will be the beginning of a long journey of our Turkish friends to Russia,” concludes Yulia Maksutova.
