TravTalk India Online Magazine
The Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) had all heads turning to Russia with their 2025 convention in Moscow, followed by a Fam trip to St Petersburg. The event was aimed at changing tourist perception of Russia. The Moscow City Tourism Committee ensured that the main takeaway for delegates was an image of a safe and comfortable destination to visit.
Nisha Verma
The OTOAI event aimed to showcase the destination in a new light. Evgeniy Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, and Chairman of Moscow City Tourism Committee, said, “The convention will showcase Moscow, and Russia, as a safe destination to visit and that it is easy to travel for Indians.”
Enthralling Moscow
For Moscow, India is the second largest country in terms of inbound tourist numbers, Kozlov highlighted. “The year-on-year growth is 40 per cent. Unfortunately, in the first quarter of 2025, only 18,000 Indians came to Moscow. I hope that OTOAI convention will boost the number of Indian tourists to the city. We even had a Festival of India in Moscow, which coincided with the convention. It was widely mentioned on social media in India. Apart from that, we have dedicated India-friendly guides and hotels. Our digital project ‘discover.moscow’ represents all these opportunities for Indian tourists to discover their own version of Moscow. In addition, the B2B meetings at the convention will also help boost all the communication and people-to-people connection between tour operators from India and service providers in Moscow and St. Petersburg,” he said.
Beyond the usual
The OTOAI delegation explored Moscow and St Petersburg, the two most popular cities in Russia. Kozlov shared, “Russia is a unique country. One should start from Moscow and St Petersburg and after that one can visit Siberia. Then they (visitors) can go to the north or the south to find the right cuisine and experiences.”
Safe and tech forward
Citing that Moscow is easy to travel to, especially for international travellers, Kozlov highlighted, “I need only my phone or gadget to live in Moscow. The city never sleeps. In this digital world, one can stay at home and deliver anything at any time. You can also go to some of the world’s best parks in Moscow and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.”
He added, “The vibe of Moscow is safe. I am sure that the delegates at the OTOAI convention will be ambassadors of Moscow to India. We are constantly working towards making our city better. Our mayor has a great vision to build and make it the best city of the world.”
