Before the meeting, Mikhail Mishustin reviewed the presentations of domestic tourism development projects.
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed projects for domestic tourism development. From left: Sberbank CEO German Gref, Head of the Republic of Altai Andrei Turchak, Head of the Federal Agency for Air Transport Dmitry Yadrov and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed domestic tourism development projects. With Sberbank CEO German Gref
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed projects for domestic tourism development. From left: Sberbank CEO German Gref, Head of the Republic of Altai Andrei Turchak, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed projects for domestic tourism development. From left: Sberbank CEO German Gref, Head of the Republic of Altai Andrei Turchak, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed domestic tourism development projects. With Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed projects for domestic tourism development
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed domestic tourism development projects. With Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed domestic tourism development projects. With Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed domestic tourism development projects. With Head of the Special Projects Directorate at the Corporation Tourism.RF Andrei Brovkin and Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko
Meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Mikhail Mishustin at the meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov at the meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov at the Meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Mikhail Mishustin and Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov at the meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Mikhail Mishustin and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov at the meeting on the development of tourism and hospitality in Russia
Mikhail Mishustin reviewed projects for domestic tourism development. From left: Sberbank CEO German Gref, Head of the Republic of Altai Andrei Turchak, Head of the Federal Agency for Air Transport Dmitry Yadrov and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, friends, colleagues.
Before we begin this meeting, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr Gref, our colleagues from Sber, who have organised everything to the highest standard. Thanks for your traditional hospitality. And, of course, thank you to our esteemed colleague, the governor. Mr Turchak, thank you for this events programme.
It has become a tradition to hold this meeting in the Republic of Altai, one of Russia’s most scenic locations.
Today, we will discuss key issues concerning the development of Russian tourism and hospitality. These issues concern residents of Russia and everybody involved in this and many associated industries – and, of course, those using these services.
Just now, as we visited the exhibition, we reviewed presentations of projects some of which were implemented with state support. The majority of these projects are in their final implementation phases. They are examples of state-business cooperation, thanks to which Russian regions are adding cutting-edge tourist facilities, expanding infrastructure and creating new growth points.
The contribution of tourism and hospitality to GDP has grown in the past few years, exceeding three percent in 2025. It is expected to reach five percent by 2030. It is a goal set by the President.
Tens of millions of trips around the country are made every year. Over the first six months of 2026, more than 43 million trips were made, including over three million by foreign tourists.
Today, visitors from 64 countries are able to enter our country using an electronic visa, for which the processing procedure has been considerably simplified. The permitted period of stay in Russia has been extended almost twofold – increasing from a mere 16 days to 30 days.
There has been a significant increase in the number of visitors from China, following the introduction of a visa-free regime initiated by the Presidents of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Recently, the validity of this agreement was extended through to the end of 2027.
The Government is engaged in systemic efforts to eliminate administrative barriers in the tourism sector. This year, a series of initiatives has been launched aimed at simplifying hotel check-in procedures. Previously, Russian citizens could check in solely with a passport; however, it is now possible to do so using a military ID, a driving licence, or an international passport. Moreover, since March, individuals have been able to check in without presenting physical documents – via the national messenger, MAX. Nearly 200 hotels across 40 regions of Russia have already adopted this mechanism.
The domestic tourism industry is expanding rapidly, becoming more diverse and catering to individuals of all ages, income levels, and interests. It is imperative to continue developing high-quality and accessible infrastructure. To this end, one of the landmark projects, Five Seas and Lake Baikal, is being implemented. Under this framework, 12 year-round resorts will be built in 10 Russian regions.
A comprehensive suite of state support mechanisms is also in effect. Foremost among them – and of particular interest to all investors – is the preferential lending programme, through which the construction of around 300 hotels and multi-functional complexes with over 63,000 rooms is underway. An additional 40 year-round sites are planned, including water parks, ski resorts, and amusement parks.
The total volume of investment in these projects stands at approximately 1.6 trillion roubles, of which 1 trillion roubles comprises the subsidised loan portfolio. More than 50 such facilities are already welcoming guests.
Regions receive the so-called unified subsidy for the organisation of festivals, the enhancement of historic city centres, beaches and piers, as well as for tourist routes. For this year and the next, 9 billion roubles have been earmarked for each respective year. Funds are also allocated for the development of the engineering and transport infrastructure required to develop tourism clusters.
In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to urban development and the construction of roads. The President has underscored the necessity of synchronising tourism programmes with plans for the expansion of transport facilities, so that as many people as possible are able to utilise them and reach their desired destinations.
At the President’s initiative, we are modernising the airfield infrastructure of 75 airports. Work is currently in progress at 38 of them, including here in Gorno-Altaisk, where we have reviewed this project first-hand. It will be a very attractive modern airport. I earnestly hope that as many people as possible will visit the region, and from Gorno-Altaisk continue their journeys across the Republic of Altai and the Altai Territory, as well as to neighbouring regions.
Improving transport accessibility is closely linked to the growth of an increasingly important segment: ecotourism, which has become highly popular now. A growing number of people wish to spend their leisure time actively – travelling with family and friends through the country’s unique natural areas. Last year, over 22.5 million people visited such sites, a 25 percent increase on the previous year. Thanks to the development of well-equipped ecotrails, tourist routes, recreational zones, museums, and modern visitor centres in national parks, this type of holiday is no longer reserved for experienced travelers alone, but is now accessible to a much wider audience.
Altai is a prime example and one of the defining symbols of ecotourism. Its Golden Mountains of Altai are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the famous Chuysky Trakt (Chuya trunk road) is recognised as one of the most scenic roads in the world.
Almost every Russian region holds considerable potential in this field, and these areas undoubtedly warrant further development. There is, however, one fundamental prerequisite: respect for the natural environment. The growing number of visitors to these protected areas must not, of course, come at the expense of the ecosystem’s balance.
Another key area is children’s and youth tourism. What sets it apart from conventional holidays is its focus on helping young people discover more about their country, acquire new knowledge, broaden their social horizons, and explore potential career paths.
A range of programmes has been developed to this end, and we will be reviewing their implementation today.
We are doing everything in our power to ensure that schoolchildren and students can rest and recharge ahead of the new academic year.
Recently, we allocated 3 billion roubles to enable children of special military operation participants, children from large families, and those from families in difficult circumstances to spend their holidays at children’s health centres on the coast of the Krasnodar Territory. This initiative will benefit 40,000 children.
I would also like to highlight patriotic tourism. Earlier today, I discussed with a colleague the importance of enabling as many children as possible to visit sites of significance across our homeland, alongside participants in the special military operation. This is an area that clearly needs further development, and we will take this forward upon our return to Moscow.
I would also like to touch on the tourism situation on the Crimean Peninsula. This year has proved challenging for tourism operators in Crimea and Sevastopol. We allocated 4.3 billion roubles in support, enabling them to retain their staff and sustain their operations, and we will, of course, continue this work.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entrepreneurs and residents of the peninsula as a whole, who demonstrated a remarkable sense of responsibility throughout this difficult period. They did not turn away from the holidaymakers who came to the Crimean coast, but instead offered them every possible assistance.
Much has already been achieved for the domestic tourism industry across the country. However, to ensure its stable and dynamic growth, there is still more to be done – so that people can travel comfortably and enjoyably throughout our beautiful country. Today, we will be discussing all matters relating to the expansion of domestic tourism opportunities and the development of modern infrastructure.
More to be posted soon.
