Discussion of global and particular issues concerning modernization and adaptation of the tourist sector at the regional level under current challenges is in thematic focus of the Forum.

The event in the discussion format was opened by Sergey Korneev, Chair of St. Petersburg Tourism Development Committee. In his welcoming address he noted that this year the Forum takes place under the joined brand with the Russian Tourist Forum “Go Travelling”! Cooperation promoted the record-breaking number of participants – over 1,200 people. According to him, this indicator says a lot about development and increased interest to the industry.

“In St. Petersburg we seek to expand seasonality and diversify tourism by its types, that is why today we focus on the development of local, industrial, medical and health-improving, food and other kinds of tourism,” noted the head of the committee.

For a tourist to know about various tourist destinations of St. Petersburg , the active information campaign is being carried out, that really works, as this year the share of return tourism has grown from 20 % to 40 % as compared to the last year.

“60 % of those 1.2 mln business tourists hosted by St. Petersburg in 2023 are the visitors and participants of the EXPOFORUM events,” Aleksandr Gorokhov, Deputy General Director for Commerce, underlined at the plenary meeting, “a business tourist is just the return tourist who comes to St. Petersburg to a business event and then returns here with his family”.

The forum organizers are the Committee for Tourism Development and the Convention and Exhibition Bureau of St. Petersburg in cooperation with the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.