St. Petersburg beckons
The Committee for Tourism Development under St. Petersburg City Administration conducted roadshows in Delhi and Mumbai in order to promote St. Petersburg to the Indian market.
India is a very important market for Russia, according to Alexander Martynov, Head-Regional and International Projects Segment, Committee for Tourism Development, St. Petersburg City Administration. “Indian tourists have been flocking to Russia and even though the numbers are modest we are confident that the trend will continue. We are hoping to see the number of Indian tourists to Russia grow by 50 per cent as compared to last year by the end of 2016,” says Martynov.
The organisation brought together attractions, transport operators and museums to showcase the products of the city in particular. This promotion was held independent of the Russian tourism department but is in line with the larger motive of improving tourist numbers from India to Russia, informed Martynov.
“Individual cities also have independent budgets to promote themselves in the markets of their choice apart from taking part in the larger federal activities of Russian tourism promotion. India is a comfortable market for us in the Asian region as compared to its neighbouring South East Asian countries as the language and culture is easier to adapt,” adds Martynov.
The event saw travel agents interact with the exhibitors from the destination in a B2B networking session. Martynov also explains that the interest to travel exists between the two countries but there is a lack of product knowledge and these interactions are meant to bridge the gap between the travel service suppliers and buyers.
St. Petersburg offers tourism products like museum tours, hosiery tours, cultural experiences, nightlife, wellness and yoga centres etc. amongst others. Martynov also informs that soon visa simplifications will be taken up for Indian travellers and hopes to see a direct flight from Delhi to Russia which will ease travel between the two countries.