St. Petersburg presented tourist opportunities at the international exhibition in India
St. Petersburg participated in the international tourism exhibition “South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange” (SATTE), which was held from February 09 to 11, 2023 at the India Expo Mart. Committee for tourism development of Saint Petersburg and Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau organized a stand, dedicated to the Northern capital of Russia. It has become the highlight of the exhibition.
St. Petersburg is one of the largest cities in Europe. It is in the northwestern part of Russia, on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Petersburg’s museums keep and proudly demonstrate treasures of Czarist Russia, the memory of outstanding cultural figures. The city is a unique tourist destination for both Russian and foreign travelers. At SATTE, the specialists of the Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau presented the Northern capital of Russia and the possibilities of event, cultural and medical tourism there.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region of India G. Kishan Reddy and Yulia Kuzenskaya, Deputy Chairman of Committee for tourism development of Saint Petersburg, took part in the grand opening of the exhibition. “Strategic partnership, between our two countries, contributes to further development of traveling and convention events. It is pleasant to note that tourist industry of St. Petersburg attracts a large number of travelers from India. The Northern Capital of Russia offers a wide range of opportunities, combined with the St. Petersburg’s hospitality, high quality of services and individual approach to international guests which provide the most pleasant impressions. And, we hope, it will inspire travelers to return to our city,” Yulia Kuzenskaya emphasized in her welcoming speech.
In order to inform visitors about the tourist infrastructure of St. Petersburg, a media event as a part of the exhibition was organized. Russian and foreign speakers participated in it. Experts presented unique tourist opportunities for Indian travelers, the Russian hotel booking system and companies, specializing in hosting foreign guests in the city on the Neva. Nika Strizhak, the Ambassador of St. Petersburg, reviewed the city’s tourism potential, spoke about its cultural and business centers, hotel infrastructure and impressive history. The project “Two cities – a million impressions” was presented during the event. “Moscow and St. Petersburg are the two main tourist destinations in Russia for inbound and outbound travelers. The project “Two cities – a million impressions”, been developed and promoted together with our St. Petersburg colleagues, is intended to diversify travel offers of the two Russian capitals. It allows visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg during one trip and includes more than 40 routs. The concept of the project meets the needs of foreign tourists, including the Indian audience”, said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the Moscow City Tourism Committee. Mr. Sumit Dahiya told the visitors about the Indian tour operator “Tripoholidays” at the media event. The company offers a wide range of services for its clients: from developing a tourist route and assistance with registration of documents to arranging airport transfers.
The Petersburg delegation held meetings and negotiations with Indian colleagues, discussed issues of international tourism partnership and prospects of the industry development. At the exhibition, Yulia Kuzenskaya met with the Mr. Roshan Thomas, Deputy Secretary of Ministry of Tourism.
In order to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector, Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau has established partnership agreements with the Travel Agents Association of India, the leading network of MICE agencies, NIMA, and the Indian tour operator Tripoholidays. The signed agreements have contributed to strengthening the tourism partnership between Russia and India, increasing tourist flows and development of the industry.
Tour operators and hoteliers worked together with the Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau at the stand. Among them were the largest travel companies: “Tari Tour”, “Morskoi Lev”, “Tour operator Intourist”, the Indian travel agency “Tripoholidays”, the international online booking system “Bronevik.com”, and the restaurant “Oh! Mumbai!”, which was famous for its delicious Indian cuisine.
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Russia and India have long-standing friendly relations and a long history of cooperation in various fields, including tourism. Last year, there was the 55th anniversary of the official establishment of a sister city relationship between St. Petersburg and Mumbai. Moreover, the Visit Petersburg office has been operating in Mumbai since 2017. Indian travelers can get all the necessary information about St. Petersburg there.