The capital of Russia, Moscow has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with one of the country’s largest tour operators, Thomas Cook India Group at the international tourism trade show OTM in Mumbai. The agreement is aimed at promoting Moscow as a key destination for leisure and business tourism in the Indian market. Under the agreement, both the entities plan to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of knowledge and best practices. They will also work on increasing awareness about Moscow’s tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) potential, and developing new travel products that are tailored for Indian travellers.
“Thomas Cook India has expressed interest in bringing its clients to Moscow. The MoU was signed at the trade show, after we had agreed to organize a special presentation of Moscow as a tourist destination for Thomas Cook India Group and its clients, particularly in the MICE segment,” said Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
According to Kozlov, Thomas Cook India Group representatives expressed their interest in promoting Moscow in the Indian market at the Meet Global MICE Congress: BRICS Edition, which took place in Moscow in December 2024.
In addition, an agreement was signed between Moscow and Maharashtra Tourism within the framework of OTM, aimed at developing and promoting tourism between the Russian capital and Mumbai. “Maharashtra welcomes you to experience our tourism offerings and will be happy to send tourists from Maharashtra to experience the wonderful city of Moscow,” the document says.
The Moscow delegation is presently participating at OTM which runs from January 30 to February 1 in Mumbai. This year, the event has brought together over 1,600 representatives of the tourism industry from more than 60 countries.
Over the three days of the event, Moscow is presenting its key initiatives and major tourism projects, such as “Moscow Estates,” “Moscow Tea Time Project,” and “Moscow Gastronomy Project.” Additionally, representatives of the Moscow delegation are expected to hold around 500 business meetings and negotiations with counterparts from the Indian tourism industry.
India remains one of the priority markets for the Moscow City Tourism Committee. Tourist flow has been steadily increasing in recent years, with India traditionally ranking among the top three non-CIS countries in terms of the number of tourists visiting Moscow. In the first nine months of 2024, more than 61,000 Indian travellers visited Moscow, nearly matching the figures for the entire year of 2023.