What are the measures planned to ease the procedure of arrival and stay in Russia?

Kozlov: More than 30,000 tourists have used the electronic visa in the first month itself, since it was introduced on August 1, 2023. Indian tourists currently rank third in the number of business travellers from outside the CIS countries.

What is Moscow going to attract international business with? What are the countries they would be focusing on at this juncture, even as most of Europe is out of picture in terms of business/business tourism?

Kozlov: We are focusing on developing business tourism by arranging business missions and preliminary visits to Moscow. The Moscow City Tourism Committee has organised eight business missions across eight countries, with over 70 companies from the UAE, India, and Iran participating in these events. We are also implementing an online training and certification programme to promote Moscow as an attractive destination for business tourism. The city will host the Global MICE Congress on October 6, bringing together professionals from 14 countries, including India, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. This will promote interaction between representatives of Moscow and foreign tour industries.

What is the profile of the Indian business traveller coming to Moscow, and to Russia in general?

Kozlov: Business tourists account for one fifth of all tourist traffic to Moscow. At the same time, about 40 per cent of all business tourists return to the city with family or friends. This year, the trend continued: in the first quarter, India was in third place among visitors from abroad in terms of the number of business travellers. Business travellers, including those from India, usually spend two times more than travellers visiting the country for other purposes.

Was the event in Delhi a standalone effort with India in mind, or part of a series of such events globally?

Kozlov: We place a certain emphasis on business tourism, which can create a steady high flow of tourists to the city. We see India as one of the best. One of the goals of the event is to present Moscow to the international MICE community as an attractive place for organising business events of various sizes.

Are there any specific practical issues that a tourist going to Russia currently might face – flight connections, if credit cards are working, or anything else one might brace for?

Kozlov: We are doing our best to establish cooperation with all India’s states. Currently, there are 10 regular flights from Moscow to different cities in India. Of course, in the case of a significant increase in tourist traffic – both corporate and private travellers – more flights will be required. We expect that the mutual tourist flow between our countries will continue to grow. We feel the need to launch direct flights with other cities, primarily Mumbai, but also Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. The validity period of an e-visa is 60 days from the date of its issuance. You can stay with it in Russia for 16 days. It has several advantages over a traditional visa — you do not need to go to consulates or embassies, and the only documents required are a digital photograph of your face and a scan of the page with your passport data. The e-visa is available for citizens of 55 countries, including India. Also, initiatives like the Foreign Tourist Card will help address payment-related issues.