The central business event of the first day of MITT 2025 was the Forum of Leaders of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry . This is a meeting place for heads of tourism companies, hotels, and government officials to discuss strategic issues of industry development.
The Forum included a trend session entitled "Tourism 2025: Expert Forecasts and Market Transformation in the New Conditions". The moderator was Ilya Umansky , President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), General Director of the national tour operator "Alean". In his opening remarks, the expert highlighted the following trends:
// technologies, namely AI, which will provide a systemic breakthrough in tourism in the near future;
// development of the alternative accommodation segment, which is growing at a phenomenal rate. The segment is less regulated than hotels and is likely to provide greater profitability;
// content travel.
Vladimir Rubtsov , CEO of FUN&SUN, spoke about the tourism trends of the summer 2025 season in outbound tourism . He emphasized the demand for personalization: "Companies should think about what value they can convey to the client today, how to monetize their knowledge, technologies and service qualitatively. At each stage today, it is important to work with quality, because the client is becoming more demanding."
The speaker then presented the TOP 10 outbound destinations in 2024:
// Türkiye – 4,480,482
// UAE – 1,470,491
// Egypt – 1 196 19 6
// China (due to expansion of flight programs) – 1,017,949
// Thailand – 935,776
// Abkhazia – 513,922
// Armenia – 320,642
// Georgia – 244,180
// Azerbaijan – 230,873
// Uzbekistan – 190,342.
The expert shared the trends for the summer 2025 season, including:
// Travel remains a basic need, with more than 80% of organized tourists choosing a beach holiday in the summer season
// TOP key areas are stable
// The share of outbound tourism from the regions is growing due to the increase in the solvency of residents of the regions of Russia
// On outbound destinations, tourists try to travel with tour operators. This solves the issue of paying for hotel accommodation, transfers and flights with foreign airlines.
// The trend continues for Middle Eastern and Asian destinations to remain year-round.
According to the company, the TOP 5 destinations for early booking for the summer season include: Turkey (59%), Egypt (17%), UAE (10%), Russia (9%), Thailand (5%).
Also, during his speech, Vladimir Rubtsov described the patterns of growth of directions in connection with the events taking place using the example of the season "winter 2024-2025". Among such events: the beginning of the winter season, Black Friday, New Year holidays, the end of the long weekend and the activation of the RB, the dollar less than 100 rubles, the dollar less than 90 rubles, the week between February 23 and March 8.
Dmitry Arutyunov , member of the board of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), CEO, tour operator Art-Tour, commented on the situation with the transformation of the tourism market . Among the tourist destinations, he singled out the growing popularity of Oman and Saudi Arabia, and emphasized the demand for excursion China, Bhutan, and Nepal as “destinations of increased knowledge”. “For trips to these regions, clients turn to a travel agent as an expert who will impartially tell them all the nuances of accommodation, the route, and other aspects of the trip,” added Dmitry Arutyunov.
The topic of changes in demand and price dynamics in domestic tourism was presented by Oksana Bulakh , Deputy General Director, National Tour Operator "Alean": "There are prerequisites for the tourist season in Anapa to take place, but with its own nuances and features."
The first factor that contributes to this is the capacity of the resort, the multitude of accommodations. "Other coastal resorts will hardly be able to replace such capacity," the speaker said.
The second factor, according to Oksana Bulakh, is the focus on accommodating families with children and the specifics of logistics – 70% of tourists get to Anapa by car.
"Anapa market participants are waiting for the decision of Rospotrebnadzor in March and April. Today, businesses in the region are actively preparing and doing everything possible to ensure that vacationers arrive. In particular, they are trying to improve the infrastructure in the area and are expanding the teams of animators," the speaker added.
Sletat.ru CEO Evgeny Danilovich noted at the session that modern travelers, especially those with money, are no longer satisfied with a simple beach holiday. The speaker presented the audience with the distribution structure of the portrait tourism market:
// travel agencies operating under their own brand – 10,000 + TA
// travel agencies operating under someone else's brand - 5,000 + TA
// OTA – 4 companies
// ecosystem players – 5-6 players
// opinion leaders – 100+, the number is constantly growing, networks are being built with the self-employed.
Sergei Voitovich , co-head of the committee on international activities and head of the company "Svoy TS", spoke about inbound tourism and new markets .
According to the expert, inbound tourism will partially experience overtourism in the coming years: there are expected to be more foreign travelers than accommodation and display facilities. "1,542,000 tourists came to Russia this year, according to the Border Service of the FSB of Russia. 400,000 of them are Chinese who crossed the border by bus or ferry, 60,000 are Germans who came to the country in their own cars," the speaker added.
Sponsors and partners: Sber (Title Partner), Mantera Group (General Partner of the Business Program), Monchegorsk (Partner of the Business Program), Travelline (Partner of the Travel Tech Section), Ostrovok (Partner of the Business Program), Altai Republic (Mountain Partner), Sevastopol (Partner of the Plenary Session), Tbau (Partner of Drinking Water), Chuvashia (Region-Partner of the Plenary Session) and others.
On the first day of MITT 2025 , the opening ceremony of the 31st International MITT Exhibition was held at Sber Arena .
Mokhmad Akhmadov , Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy: “On behalf of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, I welcome the organizers and participants of the 31st International Tourism and Hospitality Industry Exhibition MITT. The largest exhibition in Russia and neighboring countries has been gathering professionals ready to present new proposals and effective solutions in the hospitality industry for over thirty years. Currently, there is an increase in domestic tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular due to the growing interest of citizens in the rich history, culture, traditions, unique natural resources of our country, as well as in new knowledge and impressions. Events such as MITT contribute to improving the quality of tourism and increasing tourist flow. I wish the participants and organizers fruitful work, finding solutions and ideas that can be applied in their region in order to improve the services provided in the tourism industry!”
Mr. Haitham Mohammed Al Ghassani , Director General of Tourism Promotion, Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman: “We are pleased to be part of such a large-scale event, to be among tourism industry professionals. MITT is one of the largest industry exhibitions in the Russian Federation and a special event for us, as Oman is participating for the first time. We are pleased to reveal the tourism potential of our destination, thank you to the organizers for the opportunity to represent Oman at the exhibition. The connection between Oman and Russia is getting stronger, and we are pleased to welcome tourists from Russia. I wish the participants, visitors, and organizers a successful event!”
Kubanychbek Bokontayev , Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Russian Federation: “I welcome you to the 31st International Tourism and Hospitality Industry Exhibition MITT! The exhibition has received wide recognition as the largest international platform for market development. This is an opportunity to support the intercultural original dialogue of our peoples, to show our tourism potential at the national stand, where services and products, in particular, of the handicraft sector, are presented. It is worth noting the interest in our tourism products on the part of Russian citizens. A total of 8,625,000 tourists from the CIS, far abroad and other regions visited the Kyrgyz Republic. The tourism sector is actively developing and is becoming an important factor in economic growth. We invite everyone to explore untouched natural places, engage in active recreation and other types of leisure in the Kyrgyz Republic. I wish you the implementation of all your plans and projects!”
Emin Merdanov , Minister of Tourism and Folk Arts and Crafts of the Republic of Dagestan: “This event is rightfully considered one of the most anticipated and authoritative in the industry, not only in Russia, but also in the world. MITT provides an opportunity to establish regional and international cooperation. Every year, more and more tourists - 2,000,000 people in 2024 - come to explore the flavor and authenticity of our region. Dagestan has been a strategic partner of the MITT exhibition for several years, and we express our gratitude to the organizers for their long-term cooperation. I wish everyone fruitful work!”
Christophoros Konstantinidi , Chairman of the Committee for Sustainable Tourism Development of the Business Center for Development of the Commonwealth of Independent States: “In difficult conditions, non-governmental business platforms are an important tool for developing the tourism business. MITT has long become an authoritative, expert platform for discussing topical issues, and it is here that regions can establish direct dialogue without mediation. Tourism is a tool of “soft power” for economic growth. I wish you new contacts and productive work!”
Ilya Umansky , President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI), CEO of the national tour operator Alean: “For over 30 years, we have been starting the summer tourist season with this long-awaited event – the MITT exhibition. The industry is developing dynamically, with early booking results for outbound destinations being 30%, and for domestic destinations – growth within 10%. As for inbound tourism, growth is more than 50% higher than last year’s figure. We are starting the 2025 season with optimism and preparing for it. Tourism is in dire need of communication and interaction, both domestically and internationally, and MITT provides such an opportunity.”
Konstantin Markov , Executive Director, Sberbank PJSC Center for Industry Expertise "Tourism": "The MITT exhibition is of particular importance to us. It brings together industry professionals and people who inspire and are inspired by the presented areas. We try to apply a comprehensive approach to the products and services that we demonstrate at our stand. I wish everyone good luck and signing contracts on the sidelines of the exhibition!"
Maxim Shilov , Director of the International Exhibition MITT: "Many valuable words were said here, it is very important for us to hear each participant, visitor and partner in order to make the MITT platform even more useful for business. We are proud that the professional community recognizes the exhibition as an effective tool for promoting tourism. We promise and confirm: the team will continue to work to improve the effectiveness of participation. With your welcoming stands, you fill the halls with color, and the agreements implemented at the site contribute to the development of the tourism industry in Russia and the development of international cooperation. Together, we help travelers discover new routes, locations and destinations!"
The key topics of the session were:
// exploring new opportunities and prospective risks in the industry,
// localization and globalization, trends and contradictions,
// advanced experience and search for innovative solutions for the development of tourism and hospitality in the Russian Federation.
As noted by the session moderator, Christophor Konstantinidi , Doctor of Economics, expert of the Russian Academy of Sciences, head of the International Analytical Center for Sustainable Tourism Development at RUDN, Chairman of the Sustainable Tourism Committee of the CIS Business Center, the challenges of the industry include:
// quality of service
// growth of tourist flow
// the issue of personnel, a shortage of specialists in all positions and levels.
Among the speakers at the event was Violetta Romero de Torres , Managing Director, Radisson Hotel Group in Russia: "We see our mission in maintaining high quality service and the image of tourism abroad. Yes, today there is some stagnation in demand, and now it is important to work on new regions, such as India, China, the Middle East. For example, 144 million Chinese citizens use our hotels. Over the past two years, two new hotels have opened - in Moscow and Veliky Novgorod.
The expert emphasized that it is important for the company to balance maintaining high quality service and business marginality. This is helped by:
// analytics, data-driven decision making, including proprietary developments and platforms;
// participation in the national project "Labor Productivity";
// tracking staff zones in a brand audit to increase employee engagement and greater willingness to provide quality service;
// staff training, in particular the supervisor program, virtual courses, Radisson Academy.
Sergey Shpilko , Russian Union of Travel Industry, also took the floor at the event : "Tourism has shown itself to be the most resilient industry in the conditions of sanctions and has begun to attract more attention from investors. At the same time, the following problems have begun to appear: worsening inflation - import opportunities have been limited - as well as an increase in the fiscal burden due to the introduction of a tourist tax."
As a result, as the expert stated, with the growth of demand for tourism, there was a decrease in profitability. To solve the problem, according to the speaker, it is necessary:
// reduce the fiscal burden
// clean up the short-term rental sector
// enter recreational lands only in accordance with a sustainable development approach.
Sponsors and partners: Sber (Title Partner), Mantera Group (General Partner of the Business Program), Sevastopol (Partner of the Plenary Session), Chuvashia (Region-Partner of the Plenary Session), Monchegorsk (Partner of the Business Program), Ostrovok (Partner of the Business Program), and others.
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On the first day of the MITT exhibition, a trend session was held: “Current state and development prospects of the hotel market and hospitality industry in the Russian Federation: analytics, legislation, support measures .” The moderator of the event was Alexey Musakin , Managing Partner of Cronwell Hospitality Group. Sponsors and partners : Sber (Title Partner), Mantera Group (General Partner of the business program), and others.
Olga Shirokova , Director of the Consulting and Analytics Department at NF Group, spoke about the current state and development prospects of hotel real estate . There are 150,000 quality rooms in Russia, which is 13% of the total number of rooms. The growth of the number of rooms for 2024 was +6%. The projected annual growth of the number of rooms for 2026–2030 is estimated at +7–8%. In 2024, 92 million people were accommodated in collective accommodation facilities, an increase of +10%. The speaker also discussed the issue of preferential financing for 2025 and promising areas for the development of the industry.
Yana Ukhanova , Deputy General Director for Hotel Development, Mantera Group, noted a number of trends in Russian business, including the trend towards centralization, digitalization and automation, as well as sustainable development and ESG. The speaker also noted the popularity of resort complexes, family resorts and the active development of the premium sector.
Zukhra Gordienko , Minister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism of the Republic of Bashkortostan, spoke about the options for developing the industry, including ski tourism, ethnographic tourism and event tourism, and also noted the high level of project activity in the republic.
Sergey Danilchenko , co-founder and CEO of Hotel Advisors, noted a number of trends in the hotel industry. For example, the trend towards lower occupancy rates in hotels has intensified. This is due to the pricing policy of hotels, which is determined by economic factors. In addition, there is a shift in demand towards more affordable accommodation facilities and individual apartments. The level of ADR growth also continues to slow down: in a number of regions, the market may approach price limits, and further increases in tariffs may have a stronger impact on the level of demand in most regions. In conclusion, the speaker shared a short-term forecast for market development until June 2025 and recommendations for hoteliers.
On March 18, an expert session "Glamping 2.0: a new look at a sustainable industry" was also held . Sponsors and partners : Sber (Title Partner), Mantera Group (General Partner of the business program), Glamping Association (Partner of the "Glamping" section) and others. Anna Chernetskaya , MITT Connect community manager, shared the results of an analytical study of industry participants on the state of the sector.
As of the end of 2024, there are more than 700 glampings in Russia. According to the results of the study, 70% of glampings operate year-round, most glampings are located in the Central Federal District, and the vast majority of glampings employ up to 10 employees. Among the negative factors affecting the current state of the industry, respondents highlighted the lack of qualified personnel, inflation, and others. Among the positive ones are government support measures, reorientation to domestic tourism, and others.
Zhanna Kira , President of the Glamping Association, co-founder of the manufacturing company and architectural bureau, Glamping Association, manufacturing company "Wild House", architectural bureau "Mesto", spoke on the topic "What awaits glampers in 2025: challenges and new opportunities for the industry". The share of glampings in the total volume of accommodation facilities in 2023 is 2.2%, which is a significant figure for a young market. Among the problems of the industry, the expert notes:
// High key rate
// Preferential lending accompanied by excessive bureaucracy
// Insurance premium rates
// Modular houses in forest reserves cannot serve as collateral for loans
// Insufficient support for infrastructure facilities
// High costs of electricity and connection of additional capacities, speed of implementation of supply networks and roads
// Specific problems in the regions
// Placing glampings on agricultural land, speed of transfer of permitted use
// Lack of standardization and legal regulation and others
According to the speaker's forecasts, in 2025 the market expects the emergence of a GOST for gambling, increased competition, and the popularization of ecotourism.
Victoria Degtyareva , founder of the project Ustoichivyiturizm.rf, HEBI travel, an expert in the field of sustainable tourism Ustoichivyiturizm.rf, HEBI travel, spoke about how ESG initiatives increase guest loyalty and glamping profitability . The speaker discussed the principles of sustainable tourism at different stages: design and construction (for example, a cost 10% more expensive can reduce waste and bring more value), energy and water conservation, which will reduce operating costs by up to 30%. The expert shared 5 steps to zero waste, as well as opportunities for tourism from a socio-cultural perspective.
"Why is it important to be a pet-friendly project today, and what does it really mean?" - this is the topic of the speech by Polina Kuskova , head of the partnership projects department of the company "Four Paws". According to the speaker, a growing trend is the desire to be not just an owner of animals, but pet parents. Traveling with pets is a new growth point for the tourism market: since 2020, interest in such trips has grown 5 times. The expert also highlighted the difficulties of pet travel and shared pet-friendly recommendations for hotels and glampings.
Alexander Odabashyan , Head of Marketing and Sales, Arctic Tour Operator Panarctic Star, Arctic Hotel Kitovy Bereg Project in Murmansk Region, spoke about event tourism . The speaker talked about the features of the Arctic Hotel Kitovy Bereg and the Park Hotel Neralakh. The speaker named comfort and high service, balance of price and value, authenticity and investment in oneself as drivers of interest.
During the third block of the expert session, the speakers discussed the trends that set new industry standards. Alexander Odabashyan , Head of Marketing and Sales, Arctic Tour Operator Panarctic Star, Arctic Hotel Kitovy Bereg Project in the Murmansk Region, answered the question of how the portrait of a glamping guest has changed. Previously, there was no need to surprise the guest, it was enough that he simply came to an unusual place. Guests have become a little more demanding, they look at the service and are very interested in identity.
Nikita Astapov , founder of the management company for country tourist complexes "Willy Well" (Network of geo-hotels "Willy Uley", "Art-Usadba Veretyevo" and "Mangup") shared his opinion about the personalized approach in glamping . The speaker noted the importance of "sincere service", the emphasis should be on a deeper understanding and attention to the guest.
Stanislav Zykov , architect and founder of the Lapochkino Gnezdo hotel, discussed the role of design and architecture in creating a unique experience for the guest. Of course, the exterior plays a big role in the traveler's experience due to its visual and tangible components. According to the speaker, "architecture and design themselves will not work without service."
Irina Katigarova , founder of the natural complex "MORELESA", spoke about the trends of wellness and pet-friendly approaches . The speaker shared her opinion on the pet-friendly policy of the "MORELESA" complex, and also noted that wellness services are inextricably perceived as an element of recreation.
Also on the day of the MITT 2025 exhibition launch, a TED presentation entitled “The Mantera Experience Ecosystem: A Sea and Mountains of Opportunities for Tourism” was held. The event was moderated by Victoria Kladieva , Head of Public Relations, Mantera Group. The session participants discussed the company’s projects, discussed the capabilities of the MANTERA Travel tour operator, noted current trends in the hotel segment, and shared the results of the MANTERA Academy’s work aimed at building an effective and sustainable personnel management system.
During the conference, experts discussed trends in medical tourism in Russia, the behavioral characteristics of Russian and foreign patients, and shared their experience in developing this type of tourism using the example of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Turkey, and some regions of Russia. The event was moderated by Aidarbek Isakhanov , a physician, healthcare organizer, member of the BRICS health coalition, international expert in medical and health tourism, head of the department for the development of medical business and promotion of the health resort industry of the National Resort Association.
At the end of the first exhibition day, a panel discussion “HR Strategy for Industry Development” was held . Moderator – Alexey Musakin , Managing Partner of Cronwell Hospitality Group.
Sergey Kartoshkin , Director of the Federal Resource Center of the National Project "Tourism and Hospitality", spoke about the work being done to train personnel, develop and implement educational programs. The Federal Resource Center has been operating since 2023, in 2024 20 DPO programs were organized, over 3,000 students were trained. Also, according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, work has been launched in each subject of the Russian Federation to create RVPO.
Anna Kuvaitseva , Vice President of Cosmos Hotel Group, shared the HR strategy for staff training. The speaker talked about the integrated project management at all stages, and also commented on the situation on the labor market and issues of staff training within the framework of the Cosmos Hospitality Academy.
Roman Gareev , PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, spoke about the HR strategy for the development of the industry. The speaker also noted a number of important elements for a successful HR strategy of the university, including identifying market needs, forming a team of professionals, actively using digital technologies, and others.
Sponsors and partners : Sber (Title partner), Mantera Group (General partner of the business program) and others.