Tourism is a truly remarkable field, having always been more than just a type of leisure or merely a source of revenue for individual regions or cities. Tourism is primarily a way to get immersed in new cultures and experience history. Tourism actually expands your horizons, as you get to see new natural landscapes and meet new people, which in turn allows for a deeper understanding of the world and mankind. When you learn of the achievements and values of other cultures, you cannot help but become a more accepting, understanding and tolerant person.
The Moscow City Tourism Committee does everything in its power to bring these ideas to life through the development and implementation of its programs. The effectiveness of these efforts can be measured by statistical data and the feedback from people who have visited Moscow.
We have recently conducted a large-scale survey among foreign tourists. We found out that the landmarks that left international travelers with the most vivid impressions were the Red Square and Kremlin, VDNKh, Arbat, Gorky Park and the Bolshoi Theater. Notably, the Red Square was particularly memorable for tourists from non-CIS countries (67%), while residents of neighboring countries (13%) were most impressed by VDNKh. But Moscow attracts foreign guests not only with its popular landmarks, but also with recreational activities unusual for a metropolis.
The plan for Moscow tourism development until 2030 emphasizes the importance of cultural tourism and ways to expand it. Currently half of the guests of the capital visit a museum, an exhibition or an art space. Theaters and sports events are popular among tourists as well.
Moscow is also rightfully considered to be a gastronomic capital: every seventh tourist goes to a restaurant from the world’s and national best rated lists. The city sets trends in this field by launching large cultural and gastronomic projects, and it boasts quite a variety of options, from budget street food to haute cuisine restaurants.
We are proud that the tourist influx to the capital in 2023 amounted to 24.5 million tourists, nearly reaching pre-pandemic figures. The Moscow City Tourism Committee continues to work persistently by developing new tourism destinations, helping representatives of the tourism industry to establish relations with foreign colleagues and organizing large-scale festivals in the city – all of which, we believe, will greatly boost tourist traffic to Moscow.
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