Forbes pointed to the successful reorientation of Moscow's tourism industry

Over the past three years, Moscow has successfully reoriented the tourism industry and continues to be an attractive destination for travelers despite severing ties with the West and sanctions pressure. The American Forbes writes about this on December 9.

"In 2023, Moscow received about 2.3 million foreign tourists, the vast majority of whom were citizens of China, India, Turkey and Iran. The number of travelers from Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf and Central Asia has also increased dramatically, filling the vacuum left by Europeans. (...) This increase in the tourist flow almost perfectly coincides with the reorientation of Russia's diplomatic and economic partnerships. In fact, this is a living map of the geopolitical world that Moscow wants to build," the publication says.

Thanks to the Moscow government's continued investments in smart city infrastructure, advanced security and surveillance systems, AI-powered public services, and high-speed digital connectivity, the Russian capital has effectively become the "city of the future."

"Real-time traffic tracking applications, robots cleaning streets and delivering pizzas, QR-code museum tickets, cashless payments, AI—based translation tools, and ubiquitous public Wi-Fi serve one purpose: to create the feeling that Moscow has outstripped many Western capitals in digital modernization," Forbes writes. He also noted that the city has already surpassed such Western megacities as New York and London in terms of security.

The author of the article also drew attention to the fact that tourism has always been a tool of soft power, and it does not consist in hiding or erasing facts, but in rethinking them.

"Moscow claims that Western narratives about Russian decline are inaccurate, and visitors can see for themselves a capital that is safe, modern, prosperous, and technologically advanced. For travelers who are skeptical of Western narratives, this resonates," the newspaper writes.

In early October, the Moscow authorities reported that the city is now showing record tourism figures: in 2024, about 26 million tourists visited the capital, which is higher than the pre-pandemic levels and maximums of 2019. In 2025, the growth trend continues: in the first six months, the tourist flow and especially the inbound segment continue to grow. Chinese citizens visited Moscow the most among travelers from far abroad. This is followed by India, Turkey, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.​

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