Tourists at Red Square in Moscow.

Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

“The city has recorded a remarkable growth in attracting tourists from the GCC region, particularly from the United Arab Emirates,” said Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee.

He added, “In 2023 alone, over 42,000 UAE tourists visited Moscow, which is 8 times higher than 2022 and almost 25 times higher than 2017. As of early February, there were 150 flights a week from Moscow to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The city expects a big rise in the inflow of Emirati visitors during the current year as citizens from the UAE do not need a visa to enter Russia.”

Kozlov explained, “The Moscow City Tourism Committee team has organised various activities in many Arab countries in the near past. We are planning roadshows and other tourism related activities in different GCC countries to showcase the city’s beauty and attractions to Gulf travellers. We are in close contact with various tourism boards, tour operators and airlines in the region to promote Moscow’s tourism.”

He further said, “This year, a business mission visited the UAE in February and a delegation took part in the ATM exhibition in Dubai in May. To strengthen international ties, the Russian capital is participating in major profile exhibitions around the globe.” “Both Russia and the UAE are committed to strengthen partnerships in the mutual tourism sector as the flow of tourists between the two countries are increasing every year.” About Russian travellers to the UAE, Kozlov revealed, “The UAE is one of the favourite destinations for Russian tourists and businessmen. The flow of tourists from Russia to the United Arab Emirates has increased in the recent past and it will further rise in the near future.”

“Moscow is becoming a new hotspot for GCC travellers due to the city’s diverse culture. The city’s historical buildings, pleasant weather and a wide range of cuisines are a big attraction for tourists. Major five-star hotels in the city offer halal food and prayer rooms. All big hotels also propose Arabic dishes to their customers,” Kozlov added.

Bulat Nurmukhanov (left) and Evgeny Kozlov.

“To promote Moscow and its history and culture in the Arab world, we are planning to hold various programmes in the region. We are always in communication with domestic and global tour operators to design new strategies for the growth of the city tourism. The city government is taking a lot of initiatives to improve the infrastructure, opening new museums and parks to make the city world’s top tourist destination,” Kozlov concluded.

Bulat Nurmukhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee said, “The Russian tourism sector is experiencing a very positive transformation as the country is receiving a huge number of tourists from Asia, the Middle East and the Global South.” He added, “Our priority markets in the GCC are the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Currently, all major hotels in the city are experiencing 85% occupancy rate and majority of guests are from the Arab region. We see great potential for tourism cooperation between our countries.” Nurmukhanov said, “We are closely working with domestic and foreign tour operators and Russian companies to increase the flow of tourists. We keep working on organising business missions overseas to promote our tourism industry. We have plans to organise roadshows in Oman and Abu Dhabi this autumn.”

He explained, “By 2030, we expect the total number of tourists to Moscow will increase from 25 million to 50 million. The city will need another 25,000 hotel rooms to meet the rising demand. We encourage UAE businesses to invest in our hotel infrastructure as the hospitality sector offers huge growth potentials.” “Holding the first BRICS tourism forum in Moscow was a big boost for the city tourism sector as a huge number of tour operators from the members’ states participated.”

About the new initiatives, he added, “We are introducing various plans to facilitate our global guests during their visit to Moscow. We opened the electric tram last year around the Moscow river which is a big attraction among tourists.”

“We are focusing on our cultural and education tourism as the city has more than 440 museums and theaters. The city has made a plan to restore all the museums and parks for tourism. The city government is also working to make it a business and wedding tourism destination.” Nurmukhanov concluded, “Moscow is a happening place. We have that more than 1200 festivals, holidays, concerts and other events take place in Moscow every year. One of them is “Summer in Moscow: Let’s Hit the Streets”, a 100-day festival from June till September within which every resident of the city can hold their own event.

Also we organise a big festival called the “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030” which lasts from August 1 to September 8. This forum-festival, spanning over 30 capital locations, offers a captivating blend of interactive exhibits, vibrant fairs, electrifying concerts, engaging sports events, and more. Visitors are immersed in a multi-sensory experience, gaining insight into Moscow’s transportation advancements and its projected development until 2030. Dedicated spaces will highlight innovations in railway, river, and unmanned transport, electric vehicles, and future subway and ground transportation technologies.