In 2018 Russia was unanimously recognized as the best organizer in the history of FIFA World Cups. According to the Federal Agency for Tourism, the World Cup attracted 6.8 mln. people from Russia and the world, with 3.4 mln. foreign fans. As a result, if compared to the same period of the previous year, the number of tourists who visited the 11 World Cup cities was 40% higher. Based on expert estimates, 2-20% of the host cities' yearly GRP was earned thanks to the 2018 FIFA World Cup[1]. The total expenditure of foreign tourists during the event amounted to US$ 1.5 bln[2].
For the host regions, the World Cup was not only a sport and culture event, but also a trigger for infrastructural transformation. While preparing the cities for the FIFA World Cup, urban infrastructure, from interurban and intraurban transport to the public health sector, was largely renovated.
Favourable visa requirements for Fan ID holders with further prolongation till the end of 2018, as well as the general improvement of infrastructure contributed to the increase of international tourist arrivals and supported Russia's image as a convenient and attractive tourism destination.
What needs to be done in order to secure this positive impression and to bring last year's fans back as tourists next year? Is it possible to preserve this positive effect? Will the tourist flow increase by a stable 10-15%, as predicted by the Federal Agency for Tourism? These and many other topics will be covered during the 3rd annual conference «Tourism in Russia: building on success».
[1] Study of economic, social and environmental impact of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
[2] «The 2018 FIFA World Cup: spenders, places and purchases. Analysis of spending by means of foreign bank cards, performed on the basis of the Sberbank system.»
AGENDA
09:30 – 10:00. Registration, morning coffee
10:00 – 12:00. Session 1.
Life after the World Cup: working results and new strategies to assert Russia on the global tourism map Moderator
Alexander Gubsky, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Vedomosti
Topics for discussion
- The World Cup effect: how to get the most out of the past championship?
- Will the positive PR-effect of the World Cup be enough? Will it help us to overcome the negative media coverage about Russia?
- What measures on easing visa restrictions should be taken in order to increase international tourist arrivals?
- Domestic tourism catalyst: how to increase demand for vacation within the country?
Panelists
Sergey Galkin, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Zarina Doguzova, Head, The Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm)
Mikhail Degtiarev, Head of the Committee on Physical Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs, The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Andrey Ermak, Minister, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Kaliningrad region
Igor Fomin, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Social Policy, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Vadim Mamontov, CEO & Founder, RussiaDiscovery
Vadim Prasov, Vice President, Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia
Ekaterina Pronicheva, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee
12:00 – 12:30. Coffee break
12:30 – 14:00. Session 2.
From the hotelier's perspective: how did the 2018 FIFA World Cup change the sector? Moderator
Alexander Gubsky, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Vedomosti
Topics for discussion
- After the World Cup: the season's results, insights and new challenges.
- Attracting investments for the further development of the hotel industry in Russia.
- Business and government: results of cooperation, obtained experience and plans for the future.
- Trends and equipment requests from hotels: did the World Cup alter the demand pattern?
Panelists
Takuya Aoyama, Vice President for Development, Hyatt International (EAME) LLC
Maxim Brodovsky, CEO, AZIMUT Hotels
Konstantin Goriainov, Vice President Operations Russia and CIS, Interstate Hotels & Resorts
Aron Libinson, Vice President Development and Operations, Russia, CIS, Georgia, Baltics & Scandinavia, IHG
Anton Protsentov, Vice President for Development, GOST Hotel Management
Levon Shakhnazarov, Director, LTD Euronomer
Michel Stalport, Area Senior Vice President, Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey, Radisson Hotel Group
14:00 – 15:00. Lunch break
15:00 – 16:30. Session 3.
Digitalization: how the tourism ecosystem is changing Moderator
Alexander Gubsky, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Vedomosti
Topics for discussion
- Pros and cons of the tourism industry's digitalization: time to race for impressions.
- New digital solutions to support the tourism sector.
- Modern loyalty programs vs. aggregators: how to reach the perfect balance?
- Increase of independent «mobile» tourists' share as a challenge for traditional travel agencies.
Panelists
Vladimir Ilichev, Managing Director Development Russia and CIS, Hilton
Dmitry Malyutin, CEO, Level.Travel
Leonid Marmer, General Director, Amadeus Russia
Alexei Matouchkine, General Director Booking.com Russia, Regional Manager Easter Europe for Partner Services, Booking.com
Yana Muromova, Deputy general Director, ANEX Tour Russia
Michael Osin, CEO, Ozon.travel
Alistair Robertson-Watts, VP Sales, Marketing and Distribution Russia, Georgia and the CIS, AccorHotels
Olga Suslova, Director strategic partnerships, Google Russia
16:30 – 18:00. Cocktail reception
