The business program of the International Travel Forum "Travel!" has been published.

The website of the International Travel Forum "Travel!" has published a full business program with a schedule, speakers and session descriptions. This year, there will be more than 40 discussions in various formats. The central event will be the plenary session "Time to Travel: A Variety of travel accessible to everyone" with the participation of Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. The Roscongress Foundation, together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, is the organizer of the International Travel Forum "Travel!".

"The government pays close attention to the development of tourism, and it brings noticeable results. As our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin notes, the infrastructure is being improved, new routes and sought-after, creative travel products aimed at people of different ages are being developed. The international forum "Travel!" is the main industrial event. Its business program covers a wide range of topics that will be of interest to industry professionals and travel enthusiasts alike, from a variety of types of tourism and attracting foreign visitors to digital platforms and travel routes. I invite everyone to participate!" emphasized Dmitry Chernyshenko.

One of the central topics of the Forum will be the implementation of the updated national project "Tourism and Hospitality", which contributes to the achievement of the goals set by the President for the growth of tourism in Russia. "Among the main indicators: an increase in the share of the tourism industry in the country's GDP to 5%, an increase in the number of tourist trips across the territory of the Russian Federation to 140 million, and the volume of exports of tourist services to 10.75 billion dollars. To achieve these goals, close cooperation between business and the state is necessary. The International Forum "Travel!"it is an essential element of joint work," said the Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the International Tourism Forum "Travel!" Anton Kobyakov.

The business program of the Forum is designed to help its participants find answers to solve pressing problems: from standardization of services to the development of interregional cooperation and the search for new growth points. Its main blocks will be "Product", "Infrastructure", and "Promotion".

"At the Forum, we will present the results of the implementation of the national Tourism and Hospitality project over five years, show how it transforms regions, creates points of attraction, and how infrastructure is changing. We launched a large—scale investment cycle - we supported the construction of 318 large hotels with 67,000 rooms, allocated preferential loans for the construction of 15 ski resorts and 22 water parks, four amusement parks, and launched about 13,000 rooms in modular hotels. The Forum has become a platform for coordinating the actions of government, business and regions. Agreements are concluded here, partnerships are formed, and solutions for practical cases are found. Specialists working in the industry will learn about what employers need today, young people will learn about internships, and someone may receive their first job offer. The business program is designed not only to show how the infrastructure and quality of service are changing, but also to teach regions how to competently form and package travel products and enter new markets, including international ones," commented Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

The infrastructure block covers a set of conditions and mechanisms aimed at developing tourist accessibility, ensuring transport connectivity of territories and forming centers of attraction for tourists. "Kilometers of impressions: how road infrastructure develops autotourism" – the central session in the block. The discussions will be attended by Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Vladimir Pyastolov, General Director of Federal Passenger Company JSC, Artem Kromochkin, Managing Director of Avito Travel, as well as international experts: Lu Yingchuan, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture of the People's Republic of China, Minister of Tourism, Co-Director of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR) (Republic of Nicaragua) Mara Stotti.

The Product block is the central element of the system that defines the conceptual framework for discussing and developing management, investment, and communication solutions. It examines key aspects of the development of the industry and types of tourism, including the formation and actualization of territorial identity.

The key session in this block will be the discussion "Tectonic shifts: how digital platforms are changing tourism." Among the speakers of the thematic block: Sangaji Tarbayev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Development of Tourist Infrastructure of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Andrey Ermak, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Kaliningrad Region; Vasily Vorobyov, Minister of Resorts, Tourism and Olympic Heritage of the Krasnodar Territory; Anton Makarsky, Russian theater actor and singer; Victoria Makarskaya, singer and producer; General Director Rest in Russia magazine Anton Semenov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aeroclub Group Denis Matyukhin, founder and CEO of the Four Paws pet store chain Andrey Tsypin and other experts.

The Promotion track is focused on the implementation of marketing tools for the promotion of tourist territories, the systematic development of regional and local tourism brands, as well as the introduction of modern formats of interaction between participants in the tourism market. There will be two key sessions in this block.: "Snow, bears and ballet: how tour operators present Russia to foreign tourists" and "Off-season: how to harmonize the tourist flow throughout the year." Moderators will be: Maya Lomidze, Executive Director of the Association of Russian Tour Operators, and Yandex, CEO.Vertical Technologies" Alexander Zverev, radio host, journalist, author of the travel show "The Most Russian American" Tim Kirby, Director of the Center for International Tourism Development of the Center for Strategic Research Foundation (CSR) Oleg Kochug and other industry experts.

Among the speakers of the block are: Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Mayor and Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow Tourism Committee, Pavel Smelov, Director General of the Center for Strategic Research (CSR), Ilya Umansky, President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, CEO of the National Tour Operator Alean, founder and CEO of the digital Marketing agency in China Mates China Anastasia Nasedkina, editor-in-chief of RT's China section Sofia Melnichuk, Minister of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Ganziy, member of the Board of Directors of the Tutu travel service Igor Sivets, heads of companies and hotel groups Cosmos Group, FUN&SUN, HH.ru travel blogger Mark Eremin, as well as representatives of regional executive authorities.

The program of the Forum also includes a special Youth Day, which will be opened by a youth plenary session "Who wants to become a traveler?". It will be moderated by stand-up comedian, actor, and TV presenter Evgeny Chebatkov. One of the main speakers will be Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. The session participants will discuss the possibilities of developing youth tourism, tools for involving young people in exploring Russian regions, and prospects for integrating tourism initiatives into youth educational and career paths.

The International Tourism Forum "Travel!" will feature a networking service in the format of specially organized zones for informal communication. You will also be given the opportunity to hold a one-on-one meeting by registering in the Roscongress Foundation's personal account and booking a slot. The Forum will also provide an opportunity to discuss partnerships with representatives of travel aggregators, regions, and companies, gain access to industry research and forecasts from leading platforms, and learn practical solutions.

The full list of sessions and speakers is posted on the official website of the International Travel Forum "Travel!".