The 32nd International Exhibition of Tourism and Hospitality Industry MITT 2026, one of the main events of the industry, ended today.
900+ participants from 40 countries presented their services and products. The international exposition consisted of countries such as Oman, Egypt, China, Turkey, Malaysia, African countries and many others. Among the exhibiting countries of the exhibition, Namibia took part in MITT for the first time. 14,800+ industry professionals got acquainted with the MITT 2026 exposition.
The final day of the exhibition was traditionally accompanied by a rich business program on several content platforms.
Hall F hosted a practical workshop "Risk-Free Sales: How to Protect Money, Customers and Yourself". During Block I "Sales", experts discussed tools for improving the efficiency of working with the customer base and ways to increase sales conversion.
The session was opened by a presentation by Artur Privin, founder of Madison Consult, on the topic "Client for Life: How Systematic Work with the Database Turns One-Time Transactions into Repeat Revenue".
The expert described a typical situation for the industry: during the high season, companies make a profit, but after its completion, revenues decline sharply. At the same time, managers can leave the company along with the customer base, and attracted leads make only one purchase. In such a situation, according to him, the difference between potential and actual income becomes lost profit.
The speaker suggested considering interaction with the client as a long-term process. According to him, instead of a one-time sale of a tour, it is important to build a consistent chain: deal - impression - service - next deal - recommendation. The main task of a travel agent is not just to sell the tour, but to make sure that the client comes back again and brings friends.
The expert noted that as the agency grows, the number of requests and managers increases, so systematic work with the client base becomes important. He stressed the need to test different approaches, prepare message templates for mailings, and analyze which communication formats work best.
Artur Privin paid special attention to the role of CRM systems. According to him, the introduction of such a system in itself does not lead to an increase in sales. It is important to work on specific metrics, such as the speed of processing applications. He also noted that many companies already have CRM, but at the same time there are no customized sales funnels.
According to the expert, managers in tourism often combine several roles at once, so the systematization of data becomes especially important. A CRM system should be filled with information on the basis of which management decisions can be made. In addition, there are a large number of deadlines in the tourism business - different tourists have different deadlines for payment and registration, and all these processes must be recorded and controlled in a single system.
The second presentation within the block was devoted to the topic of increasing sales conversion. Dmitry Potapov, co-founder of TurMarketing.ru, presented the topic "Increasing Conversion – Tricky Selections and Non-Standard Hotel Presentations". The expert spoke about approaches to the formation of selections and presentation of hotels, which help to increase the likelihood of booking.
At the same time, an expert architectural session "Master Planning and Regional Identity" was held in Hall D. The participants discussed how the integral urban environment and architectural code help the regions compete for tourists, investment and personnel.
Today, it is the recognizable identity of the territory and a well-thought-out environment that are becoming the key factors of development. Master planning makes it possible to move from chaotic development and infill solutions to systematic development, in which architecture, public spaces, and tourist infrastructure form a single space.
During the discussion, experts considered how the architectural and design code form the tourist attractiveness of territories, how master plans help create a comfortable environment for residents and guests at the same time, as well as how master planning can become a tool for economic efficiency and monetization of territories. The discussion focused on regional cases of the implementation of master plans.
The session was moderated by Ekaterina Lukyanitsa, producer of the podcast "Environment for Life" (Dom.RF), curator of special projects in the field of tourism and creative marketing, development director of the KB "Through the eyes of an engineer".
Elena Martynova, Minister of Tourism of the Tula Region, spoke about the region's approach to the development of the tourism environment. According to her, the master plan is a living project that continues to develop. She noted that the Tula region today has one of the highest number of museums per capita, if you do not take into account Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Turkcode project was implemented in the region: underground passages were designed, signs were installed, and more convenient urban navigation was created. There are also major city events, including the Living City Festival and other events in different seasons. Now work is underway on the further development and expansion of the embankment - not only in the historical center, but also in other areas of the city.
Elena Mertsalova, CEO and architect of nefa architects, noted that each city has its own cultural code. As an example, she cited Yoshkar-Ola. According to her, back in Soviet times, architects tried to integrate Mari ornaments into urban architecture. At the same time, today tourists are often attracted by new buildings - for example, stylized Flemish houses on the embankment, which have no direct connection with the history and culture of the city.
As part of the project for the development of the urban environment, the architects proposed to lengthen the embankment, create a pontoon walking area and a floating stage. At the same time, the architectural concept assumed a more concise color scheme in order to form a holistic visual environment.
Alexander Malikov, CEO of Primell Hotel Group, presented the case of the Arkhyz resort and spoke about the principles of forming an integral resort environment. According to him, any master plan begins not with a concept, but with an analysis of existing documentation.
The expert noted that one of the common problems of resorts and cities is chaotic development, a variety of styles and a conflict between architecture and the natural landscape. As part of the development of Arkhyz, an architectural code was formed, which involves a variety of buildings without visual chaos, a single palette of materials and the integration of architecture into the mountain relief. According to him, the architectural code is an important element in the formation of a high-quality resort and affects the perception of the environment - people perceive space differently when it is aesthetically harmonious.
Ekaterina Petrova, Lead Architect of the Baza 14 architectural bureau, spoke about the role of master planning for remote northern territories. According to her, for such regions, a master plan is not only a development tool, but also a matter of survival.
She noted that many small northern settlements face similar problems, and one of the solutions is to work with the cultural code and local identity. As examples, projects for the development of a village near Yakutsk and the village of Khandyga were cited. In the second case, tourism was considered as part of the spatial development strategy: the task of the project was to turn the village from a transit point into a center of attraction, taking into account the natural potential of the territory, including the mountainous landscape.
The session was also attended by Oleg Shapiro, co-founder of the Wowhaus architectural bureau, and Ekaterina Varionchik, head of the Master Planning business unit at STEP City.
 |  |
In Hall C, a rich discussion took place on the most painful issue of the industry - personnel. Participants of the expert session "The Ecosystem of Personnel Management in the Tourism Sector: Strategies for Growth and Stability", including representatives of business, universities and industry associations, were looking for the golden mean between theory and practice, talked about the prestige of the profession, and also looked into the future of hospitality.
The main topic was the personnel shortage and the gap between university training and business demands. The key problem, according to the speakers, is the lack of real immersion in the profession among students and, more importantly, love for their country.
"It turns out that, on the one hand, we are not proud of what we have... people who live, they are inside, and we do not know what is good about us here," one of the speakers complained, suggesting that those who traveled along the Golden Ring should raise their hands in the hall.
Also during the discussion, they talked about the profession of the future in tourism — most likely, it is not a marketer, but a specialist in creating a product. For example, Natalia Belyakova, Director of the Department of Expeditions and Research of the Russian Geographical Society, Associate Professor at the Financial University, Head of the Laboratory of Communications in Creative Industries at the Higher School of Economics, Academic Curator of the International Competence Center for Tourism and Hospitality, said that "in five years, there will be no marketers... There will be products, there will be people who know how to create products. Because a good product does not even need any particularly catastrophic promotion efforts."
Vadim Prasov, Vice President of the FRiO for Hospitality, added that technology management will be a key competence: "80% of all presentations... are created by artificial intelligence. This is the official figure that our colleagues have collected as part of the work that is being done here at the forum, so everything you do today will definitely and absolutely be related to the digital."
Moderators and speakers agreed that the industry is on the verge of serious changes. If earlier we talked about the economy of impressions, now the emphasis is shifting. One of the speakers pointed out that we are now moving to an economy of transformation, because we are beginning to look at what is happening to us in a completely different way, we are beginning to move to an economy of collaboration and interaction.
As Lilia Dorokhina, CEO of LeePrime Group, Director of the LIPPRIME Design Workshop design laboratory, noted, "hospitality in the future is the ability of the entire hotel system from the owner to a new employee to think about a person comprehensively, about his body, nervous system and meanings."
Also, representatives of the largest market players (hotel chains and development corporations) told how they build their own educational structures - from corporate universities to simulation laboratories.
Dmitry Batalov, CEO of the Manter Academy, shared his experience in creating a corporate university, where training has become the responsibility of managers: "Every head of department, every manager must teach at the Academy for some time... we pass on our knowledge as leaders share it."
Irina Germanova, Director of the Cosmos Academy of Hospitality, focused on standards that often contradict the desire of students to be creative. "When he comes to a real job, algorithms require him to do so – not a step to the right, not a step to the left. And this is probably the first thing that does not coincide with reality," she explained, adding that the ideal interaction between the university and business is when the university teaches standards and the best technologies, and the company provides a platform for practicing skills.
Maria Belyakova, Dean of the Faculty of Hospitality and Sports Industry of the RANEPA Presidential Academy, spoke about a bold step — the creation of her own educational hotel. "Starting this year, we have a new direction. This is a training hotel... Conventionally, in the first half - theory, in the afternoon - they go to our hotel and do an internship," the speaker shared.
There was also a discussion of problems. Galina Romanova, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Prof. Head of the MGIMO Bachelor's Office, drew attention to the legislative paradox that prevents business from becoming more actively involved in training. Hotels with developed infrastructure and conference halls cannot obtain an educational license due to the presence of bars and restaurants with alcohol.
Summing up, the participants came to the conclusion that only by combining the efforts of the state, business and education can restore the prestige of the profession and saturate the market with qualified personnel.
 |  |
Hall E hosted the MITT MICE 2026 program for professionals in the business event industry. The main topic of the program was MICE benchmarks for 2026: strict budget control and high efficiency.
The program was moderated by Irina Mikhalkova, co-founder and creative director of MICE Excellence.
One of the key sessions was 'Creating Events in Resource-Constrained Settings', dedicated to the results of the work of internal corporate departments in 2025 and forecasts for 2026, operational efficiency, and new requirements for organizing events.
The discussion was moderated by Lilia Fedorova, Managing Partner of Avantage Project, Partner of the MICE Excellence Awards. She noted that in 2025, internal events remain the most important part of corporate communications. According to her, there have been more business events, while large-scale entertainment events have been abolished in some cases. Companies began to hold small formats more often, for example, business breakfasts. Budgets have been reallocated and focused on the most important tasks. At the same time, the cost of organizing events has increased significantly - projects that previously could be implemented for 15 million rubles today require much more costs.
Vera Sukhina, Head of Brand Development and Communications at Askona Life Group Corporate University, spoke about the transformation of the company's approach to corporate events. According to her, in a large company consisting of many departments, it is important to consider the value of each employee. In this regard, some of the smaller events were transferred to an online format, and resources are focused on key projects.
The expert stressed that each activity should have a clearly formulated goal and justification, including financial. According to her, the argument "so that employees can rest" no longer works. Events are considered as full-fledged projects that affect the internal processes of the company. At the same time, if some events are canceled, it is necessary to offer employees an alternative, since such decisions can affect the internal state of the team. As an example, she cited a large corporate project "Games of Champions", which the company organized almost entirely on its own.
Anna Karpova, Head of the HR Department of BBR Bank (JSC), shared her experience in organizing internal projects after the imposition of sanctions. According to her, despite the already approved budgets, the company had to revise its approach to measures and look for solutions for their implementation on its own.
As a result, a series of long-term projects were created aimed at uniting employees from different cities and increasing loyalty. One of the formats was a project in which employees send photos on a given topic, after which a general video is edited from them. According to Anna Karpova, such initiatives help employees get to know each other better and find common interests.
An internal lecture hall was also launched, where employees hold webinars on the topics of their expertise, a book club and running clubs in the major cities where the company operates. The expert noted that today multifunctionality is becoming an important competence: specialists must be able to perform different tasks. According to her, the effectiveness of communication at small events is often higher than at large ones, where participants do not have time to get to know each other.
The programme also included the Business Outlook for 2026 session, which focused on the impact of economic and geopolitical factors on the event market and the transformation of customer service.
The discussion was moderated by Tatiana Konakova, co-founder and COO of MICE Excellence, General Producer of the MICE Excellence Awards.
Andrey Zinkovetsky, CEO of Aeroclub Tour, noted that after the pandemic, the MICE market showed objective growth, while consolidation took place in it. According to him, customers are increasingly expecting the fastest possible solutions, especially in the B2B segment.
Maxim Ikonnikov, ex-director of small and medium-sized businesses in advertising technologies at VK, ex-commercial director of the macro-region at Tele2, founder and CEO of the Younica Media Group, spoke about the situation in the media industry. According to him, the media market continues to grow and largely reflects the state of business as a whole: when companies have resources, they actively invest in advertising and marketing. He suggested not to consider the current situation as a crisis, but to perceive it as a feature of the time.
The expert noted that after the departure of foreign services, the audience did not disappear, but it was redistributed. At the same time, Russia has its own platforms, but there is still not enough advertising inventory where ads can be placed. In his opinion, in 2026, the main task for many companies will be to maintain their current positions, since growth in such conditions can be difficult.
Yulia Mikhaleva, Deputy Head of Roskachestvo, spoke about the development of standards and the use of technology in working with customers. According to her, the organization develops its own digital resources, including two media outlets, and is engaged in building effective business processes.
She noted that artificial intelligence is not an expert, but an assistant tool. According to her, it is necessary to work with him as an intern - to train and gradually develop. Technology is changing rapidly, so updates are constant, with new features every few months appearing and at the same time making old solutions obsolete.
The expert also stressed that standards are formed by the professional expert community and are constantly evolving along with technology. At the same time, customers are becoming more and more demanding as their level of awareness and awareness increases.
The MITT team thanks all visitors, participants and partners of the exhibition for their huge contribution to the organization and holding of the main industry event. See you on March 17-19, 2027!