The 26th exhibition was opened by Alexander Beglov, Provisional Governor of St. Petersburg. He noted that white nights are not the only landmark of the city; the Government intends to develop event tourism because St. Petersburg is amazing at any time of year. Also, Beglov highlighted the importance of tourism for the city: “We have been visited by representatives from 24 regions of Russia, 13 foreign governments and over 20 companies. The role of tourism in the life of the city is enormous and it’s a very important branch of the economy. St. Petersburg has massive potential in this field. The Government will have to unlock it to the full; it’s an objective for us,” Beglov said.

He added that St. Petersburg had been highly rated after the FIFA World Cup. Following the results of 2018, total tourist flow will exceed 8M, and the city will be visited by more than 10 million people in 2025. The main exhibition display, INWETEX – CIS Travel Market 2018, will provide an opportunity for visitors to get acquainted and communicate with the most active participants of the market: national tourist offices of foreign countries, sector committees and Russian regional departments for tourism, tourism and information centers, associations, tour operators and tour agencies, accommodation, educational institutions, transportation, transport and cruise companies, museums and tourist attractions, technology companies and industry-specific media. In particular, guests of the exhibition will learn about new offers of travel to Hungary, Germany, Greece, India, China, Cuba, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Thailand, Czechia, Finland and other foreign destinations, as well as a large number of regions within Russia.

There are sectors of the INWETEX – CIS Travel Market 2018 exhibition program oriented specifically to professional visitors: Resorts, Medical Tourism and MICE Industry.

The Resorts exhibition is focused on the broad potential of sanatorium and health-resort complexes in Russia and abroad, with an emphasis on the development of domestic tourism and the adaptation of rest and recreation establishments to modern market conditions. Medical tourism is currently considered one of the most promising elements of the tourist product of St. Petersburg: the largest providers of medical services are meeting professionals of the travel industry at the Medical Tourism exhibition, and then continue discussing their partnership in the framework of the SAINT PETERSBURG TRAVEL HUB business program. The specialized MICE Industry exhibition is bringing leaders of congress services of the Russian North-West together and serves as a platform for communication with potential clients.

In the course of the travel forum more than 30 practical sessions and roundtable discussions, interactive events in the format of masterclasses, case studies, workshops, and other events are planned.