Moscow’s first deputy head of the office of the mayor and the government, Evgeny Kozlov, is optimistic about a significant increase in Indian tourist arrivals to the city. He attributes this optimism to the ongoing negotiations between India and Russia for a new visa-free group travel agreement. Kozlov, also serving as the chairman of Moscow City Tourism Committee, expects the agreement to boost Indian tourist footfall in Moscow by at least 30%.
Russian federal authorities are actively developing a project to issue virtual cards to Indian travelers before their departure from India. This initiative aims to facilitate non-cash payments for travelers in Russia. Travelers may potentially obtain these virtual cards through an Indian bank before their journey to Russia and receive a physical card from a Russian banking partner upon reaching their hotel in Moscow. The virtual card system is scheduled to be operational by the end of the year.
In 2023, Moscow welcomed 2.3 million visitors, with over 60,000 arrivals from India, marking a 25% increase from the previous year. Kozlov highlighted the importance of Indian tourists to Moscow and emphasized the city’s focus on developing event tourism. The Moscow Tourism Development Program until 2030 prioritizes event tourism, aiming to attract approximately 7.3 million visitors to the city, with a significant portion expected to come from India. Currently, India is among the top five nationalities utilizing the e-visa system to explore Moscow, along with China, Turkey, and the UAE.
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