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Russian tourism industry representatives on Monday highlighted the growing tourism exchanges between India and Russia, emphasising the need to explore new destinations, strengthen tourism cooperation and expand travel opportunities beyond traditional tourist hotspots under the 'Open Your Russia 2.0' programme.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the programme, Alexander Dodonov, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in India and Director of the Russian House in New Delhi, highlighted the longstanding cultural connections between the two countries and said that a large number of Russians were interested in visiting India. "Lots of Russians want to come to India because Russians have loved Indian movies and music since their childhood... I would call India a country of dreams for any Russian, as we have many fairy tales, songs, and traditional stories about Russian travellers coming to India. The first European to ever visit India was actually a Russian, more than 500 years ago, which highlights our long history of deep-rooted relationships," Dodonov said. Speaking during the address, Alexander Sitnikov, Representative of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development in India, said that mutual tourist traffic between the two countries has witnessed steady growth, reaching 143,000 trips last year. "In recent years, we have succeeded in significantly boosting demand for mutual travel. Tourist traffic is growing steadily, reaching 143,000 trips in last year. This positive dynamic continues this year. During the first six months of this year, total mutual tourism exchanges reached 65,000 trips," Sitnikov said. He noted that Indian travellers are increasingly exploring Russian destinations beyond traditional cultural hubs such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, with growing interest in Siberia, the Russian Far East, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Kazan. "At the same time, Russian travellers continue to take great pleasure in discovering India beyond the ever-popular beaches of Goa; tours along the iconic Golden Triangle route- I mean, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur- and wellness journeys to Kerala for Ayurveda are experiencing surging demand," he added. Highlighting opportunities for Indian businesses in Russia, Sitnikov said India has established a robust hotel management sector, with domestic operators expanding their presence overseas. "In this light, I warmly invite leading Indian hospitality brands to explore opportunities in Russia," he said. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines, Alexandra Usacheva, Vice Director General of the Center for Strategic Research and a member of the Leningrad region team, said the initiative aimed to showcase the tourism potential of different Russian regions to Indian travellers. "We are here today to showcase the potential, nature, and beauty of Russian regions as compelling tourist destinations for Indian travellers, as well as the quality of the facilities we offer," Usacheva said. She said the B2B event brought together Indian tourism specialists and representatives from various Russian regions to help tailor tourism offerings according to the preferences of Indian travellers. "This B2B event brings Indian tourism specialists together with representatives from various Russian regions with the primary goal of helping those regions tailor their offerings to match the preferences of Indian travellers. We sincerely hope Indian travellers will venture beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg," she said. Highlighting the importance of tourism in bilateral engagement, Usacheva said, "With respect to governmental relations, tourism is consistently a key point of discussion between our Economic Ministers, who are responsible for tourism promotion in both countries." The remarks of the representatives come as the Russian Cultural Centre in the national capital hosted 'Open Your Russia 2.0'- an inbound tourism development programme implemented by the Center for Strategic Research (CSR) with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI). India is one of the priority international markets for Russian regions. Tver Region, Sverdlovsk Region, Leningrad Region, and the Republic of Karelia presented their recommendations for increasing the footprint of Indian tourists. The programme brought together representatives from Russian regions and Indian tourism professionals to explore opportunities for strengthening tourism cooperation, improving connectivity and expanding travel exchanges between the two countries. (ANI)
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