The capital of Russia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s largest tour operator, Thomas Cook India Group, at the international tourism trade show OTM in Mumbai. The agreement marks the beginning of active co-operation with the Indian side in the field of tourism.
The document is primarily aimed at promoting Moscow as a key destination for leisure and business tourism in the Indian market, which the authorities of the Russian capital consider a priority market. Under the agreement, the parties plan to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of knowledge and best practices. They will also work on increasing awareness among the Indian tourism industry about Moscow’s tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) potential, and developing new travel products that are tailored to Indian travellers.
“The Indian tour operator expressed interest in bringing its clients to Moscow this spring as part of a familiarization trip. The MoU was signed at the trade show, after we had agreed to organize a special presentation of Moscow as a tourist destination for Thomas Cook India Group and its clients, particularly in the MICE segment,” – said Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
According to him, Thomas Cook India Group representatives expressed their interest in promoting Moscow in the Indian market at the Meet Global MICE Congress: BRICS Edition, which took place in Moscow in December 2024. “The Thomas Cook India Group team are big fans of Moscow, and are considered trendsetters in the Indian tourism industry,” Kozlov explained.
In addition, an agreement was signed between Moscow and Maharashtra Tourism within the framework of OTM, aimed at developing and promoting tourism between the Russian capital and Mumbai. “Maharashtra welcomes you to experience our tourism offerings and will be happy to send tourists from Maharashtra to experience the wonderful city of Moscow,” the document says.
The Moscow delegation is participating in India’s leading tourism trade show, which runs from January 30 to February 1 in Mumbai. This year, the event has brought together over 1,600 representatives of the tourism industry from more than 60 countries.
Over the three days of the event, Moscow plans to present its key initiatives and major tourism projects, such as “Moscow Estates,” “Moscow Tea Time Project,” and “Moscow Gastronomy Project.” Additionally, representatives of the Moscow delegation are expected to hold around 500 business meetings and negotiations with colleagues from the Indian tourism industry.
India remains one of the priority markets for the Moscow City Tourism Committee. Tourist flow from this country has been steadily increasing in recent years, with India traditionally ranking among the top three non-CIS countries in terms of the number of tourists visiting Moscow. For example, in the first nine months of 2024, more than 61,000 Indian travelers visited the Russian capital, nearly matching the figures for the entire year of 2023.
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