Tourism Breaking News
Over 60 speakers from Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, China, Malaysia, South Africa and other partner markets will discuss global trends, destination marketing, and the role of innovation in shaping future growth. In a special interview with TravTalkME, Anastasia Popova, Head of the Business Tourism Development Department, Moscow City Tourism Committee shared that they are looking at one of the largest MICE events in Moscow over the next two days bringing over 2000 delegates across the globe with Middle East as a key partner. The programme includes 15 sessions in various formats: strategic panels, expert lectures, case presentations, and practical masterclasses. The first day focuses on strategy: organising large-scale international exhibitions, personalisation and gamification in event design, and how major events can become catalysts for destination development. The second day is dedicated to applied solutions — working with VIP clients, engaging Asian markets, scaling corporate projects, and exploring the future of MICE 5.0, including AI and neurotechnology.
MGMC 2025 also offers strong networking opportunities. More than 3,200 B2B meetings are planned, while the exhibition zone will feature over 100 exhibitors from Russia, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, presenting venues, service providers, and destination capabilities.
https://business.russpass.ru/en/projects-events/meet-global-mice-congress/mgmc-2025
Business tourism is a core pillar of Moscow’s Tourism Strategy 2030. The city is investing in the renewal of cultural and historical sites, expanding its portfolio of high-quality visitor attractions and launching large-scale, seasonally driven event programmes. These initiatives are designed to reinforce Moscow’s position as a leading global hub for international meetings and professional dialogue.
As the city upgrades its MICE infrastructure, deepens international partnerships and introduces more innovative event formats, demand for major congresses in the Russian capital continues to accelerate. Against this backdrop, the Meet Global MICE Congress 2025 — scheduled for 17–18 December — has become a landmark platform for advancing MICE cooperation across BRICS, the Gulf and the Global South countries.
To discuss how Moscow is shaping the next chapter of its business-tourism ecosystem, TravTalk Middle East spoke with Anastasia Popova, Head of the Business Tourism Development Department at the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
Tell us more about MGMC 2025: what does the programme include, and who will it bring together?
MGMC 2025 is the largest MICE-focused event in Russia and one of the key professional platforms in Eurasia. Held on 17–18 December at the World Trade Centre, it will bring together more than 2,000 delegates — including hosted buyers, industry leaders, exhibitors, and international speakers from BRICS, the Middle East, and the Global South countries.
The programme includes 15 sessions in various formats: strategic panels, expert lectures, case presentations, and practical masterclasses. More than 60 speakers from Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, China, Malaysia, South Africa and other partner markets will discuss global trends, destination marketing, and the role of innovation in shaping future growth.
The first day focuses on strategy: organising large-scale international exhibitions, personalisation and gamification in event design, and how major events can become catalysts for destination development. The second day is dedicated to applied solutions — working with VIP clients, engaging Asian markets, scaling corporate projects, and exploring the future of MICE 5.0, including AI and neurotechnology.
MGMC 2025 also offers strong networking opportunities. More than 3,200 B2B meetings are planned, while the exhibition zone will feature over 100 exhibitors from Russia, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, presenting venues, service providers, and destination capabilities.
Attendee behaviour has shifted significantly in the post-pandemic era. How is Moscow adapting to evolving expectations to ensure its events remain engaging, inclusive, and accessible to international audiences?
Attendee expectations have evolved considerably in the post-pandemic landscape. Today’s MICE travellers look for experiences that are flexible, emotionally engaging and technologically seamless — and Moscow has adapted its approach to meet these new demands.
Modern delegates expect events to go beyond formal agendas, seeking cultural depth, personalised service and a strong wow-factor. Moscow’s response combines advanced digital solutions with high standards of hospitality and a rich cultural environment. The city’s event ecosystem now integrates phygital formats, AI-driven tools and interactive content, ensuring deeper engagement and broader inclusivity for international audiences.
Another critical shift is the rising demand for memorable, emotionally resonant experiences. Globally, MICE clients increasingly expect unique venues, immersive local culture and bespoke creative concepts — and Moscow is exceptionally well-positioned to deliver. Organisers in the city are accustomed to handling the most unconventional requests: from private events in historic palaces to exclusive sessions on iconic venues, including the possibility of arranging closed-door access to major sites such as the skating rink on Red Square. This flexibility has become one of Moscow’s strongest competitive advantages.
Travel accessibility has also improved dramatically. The expansion of direct flight routes, simplified e-visa procedures and a modern, well-connected transport network ensure that travelling to the Russian capital is more convenient than ever. Together, these factors create an environment where international delegates can expect both seamless logistics and a truly inspiring event experience.
Moscow is increasingly recognized as a vibrant hub for international conferences and exhibitions. What strategic initiatives are currently being implemented to strengthen the city’s global MICE-tourism positioning?
Moscow’s positioning as a global MICE destination is driven by a targeted strategy that prioritises international outreach, sustained brand visibility, and close cooperation with major industry players — particularly in fast-growing Middle Eastern markets. A central pillar of this strategy is the city’s active presence at key global MICE events, including international trade shows, professional congresses and high-level B2B platforms. Consistent participation ensures that Moscow remains visible to decision-makers, demonstrates its expanding event infrastructure, and strengthens its presence across priority regions such as the Gulf.
Another strategic focus is collaboration with leading global MICE agencies, PCOs, incentive houses and top corporate event planners. Moscow is developing long-term partnerships with major agencies throughout the Middle East, supported by business missions, familiarisation trips, co-marketing initiatives and direct regional outreach. For Gulf-based organisers, this provides streamlined access to trusted Moscow suppliers, tailored support for large-scale events and a clear understanding of the city’s operational capabilities.
A cornerstone of this international engagement is the Moscow MICE Ambassadors programme — a structured, online certification platform designed for foreign industry professionals. It offers comprehensive insights into the city’s infrastructure, logistics, cultural specifics and event-planning solutions. Beyond training, the programme acts as a long-term brand-visibility channel: certified ambassadors become active promoters of Moscow in their home markets, expanding the city’s influence within the global MICE community and reinforcing awareness among Middle Eastern planners.
Moscow’s strengthened capabilities are reflected in the scale of events it already attracts. In 2025, the city hosted more than 13,000 participants from 42 countries at the BRICS Urban Future Forum “Cloud Cities,” with strong participation from the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and other regional partners — further demonstrating Moscow’s ability to deliver world-class congresses for diverse international audiences.
Collectively, these initiatives enhance Moscow’s global MICE profile and reaffirm its role not only as a competitive host city, but as an active contributor to professional dialogue, innovation and the long-term development of the international events industry.
Beyond strategy, how is Moscow enhancing its event infrastructure, connectivity, and support systems to attract major conferences — especially those from the Middle East and Asia?
Moscow is committed to creating a modern, comfortable and culturally aligned environment for international delegates — especially those from the Middle East. This approach is embedded in the city’s Tourism Strategy 2030, where business travel and the MICE sector are identified as key drivers of long-term development. Within this framework, Moscow continues to invest heavily in its event ecosystem: new congress and exhibition centres are being developed, existing venues are being modernised, and additional hotel capacity is being created to support large international events.
As global organisers increasingly look for distinctive and experience-driven venues, Moscow offers one of the most diverse MICE portfolios in Europe, with over 150 unique event locations — from major cultural institutions and contemporary art clusters to historic estates, stadiums and refurbished industrial spaces. Moscow’s position as a hub for major international forums will be strengthened by the opening of the International Congress and Exhibition Centre at VDNH, which will further expand this portfolio. This diversity allows planners to design events that blend operational excellence with strong cultural and emotional resonance.
Air connectivity with the Middle East is expanding steadily as Moscow strengthens its role as a major hub linking the Gulf with Eurasia. In addition to well-established routes from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Sharjah, recent years have seen:
— the launch of new direct services, including regular flights between Riyadh and Moscow as well as between Bahrein, Oman and Kuwait;
— the increase in flight frequencies by key regional carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Qatar Airways and Air Arabia;
— the entry of new regional carriers onto the Moscow market;
— and the growth of convenient one-stop connections via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul, providing flexible travel options for delegates from across the GCC and wider Asia.
This expanding network enhances accessibility for MICE groups, shortens overall travel time and broadens the choice of routes for participants.
To support organisers at every stage, Moscow offers a fully integrated assistance system. A central element of this ecosystem is RUSSPASS Business — a digital platform where planners can access an extensive catalogue of venues, hotels, service providers and technical contractors. The platform also offers complimentary photo and video materials, helping organisers prepare professional, high-quality presentations for stakeholders.
In addition, Mostourism provides personalised expert support, including venue recommendations, consulting, B2B matchmaking, co-marketing opportunities and tailored familiarisation trips for Middle Eastern partners. This comprehensive approach ensures that hosting an event in Moscow is seamless, efficient and strategically supported — reinforcing the city’s status as a modern, accessible and culturally rich destination for major international conferences.
There’s growing interest in deeper collaboration between Moscow and the Middle East. What opportunities do you see for building sustainable MICE partnerships that promote mutual growth and knowledge exchange?
In recent years, interest in deeper cooperation between Moscow and the Middle East has been growing rapidly, and this is clearly reflected in tourism dynamics. Overall tourist flows from the region continue to rise, and travellers from the Middle East are only beginning to discover Moscow. Yet the market is expanding quickly: in 2024, the Russian capital welcomed 337,400 visitors from Middle Eastern countries, a 40% increase compared to the previous year.
While leisure travel still dominates, the share of business travellers from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey is steadily increasing. This reflects a rising demand for technology-oriented, sustainability-focused, and experience-rich travel — areas where Moscow offers strong advantages. For us, this means a steadily expanding market with significant long-term potential for MICE development.
In 2024, more than 40% of all international business sessions conducted by the Moscow Tourism Committee were held specifically with Middle Eastern partners. Moscow welcomed delegations from Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, giving them the opportunity to experience the city’s infrastructure, hospitality, event venues, and service standards firsthand. These exchanges have already led to new business connections and strengthened bilateral cooperation.
Moscow’s recent business mission to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia confirmed this interest: more than 80 companies attended at both events, many expressing their willingness to collaborate on upcoming events.
Institutional cooperation is also growing. Moscow and its Gulf partners are actively engaging within BRICS Tourism and Smart City platforms, sharing best practices in AI, digital event solutions, and ESG principles. The shared commitment to innovation and sustainable development creates a strong basis for long-term, mutually beneficial MICE collaboration.
Overall, with rising tourist flows, a growing proportion of business travellers, and expanding professional engagement, the Middle East stands out as one of the most promising regions for building a resilient, future-oriented MICE ecosystem in partnership with Moscow.
Moscow has developed successful partnerships with several markets, including the Middle East. Could you share examples of these collaborations and how the lessons learned might guide future regional cooperation?
Moscow’s partnerships across priority international markets — particularly India and the Middle East — demonstrate how targeted, service-oriented strategies can create long-term, scalable cooperation models.
A clear example is Moscow’s work with India, where many of the city’s international outreach tools were first piloted. The Moscow MICE Ambassadors Programme was initially launched and refined specifically for the Indian market. It quickly proved effective in educating industry professionals, increasing destination awareness and building a strong community of certified partners who promote Moscow within their home countries. Following its success in India, the programme was expanded globally and is now actively used by organisers across the Middle East — from the UAE and Saudi Arabia to Qatar and Kuwait.
This experience directly shaped Moscow’s approach in the Middle East. The city no longer relies on standard promotional tactics; instead, it builds a holistic ecosystem tailored to the needs of regional visitors and planners. This includes investments in seamless on-the-ground support and clear communication channels that ensure guests feel understood and welcomed from the moment they arrive.
Cultural customisation is a major pillar of this strategy. Drawing on insights gained from India, Moscow developed specialised print and digital guides for Middle Eastern audiences, highlighting halal dining options, prayer facilities and Muslim-friendly services. These materials aim to remove barriers, enhance comfort and demonstrate meaningful respect for cultural and religious expectations — an approach that has been strongly recognised by Gulf visitors.
Together, these initiatives show how Moscow’s earlier success with India helped build a scalable engagement model that is now driving deep, sustainable cooperation with Middle Eastern markets. The lessons learned — from ambassador programmes to cultural adaptation — continue to inform the city’s future regional strategy and strengthen its position as a trusted, culturally aware destination for international travellers and MICE partners.
The next generation of MICE leadership demands creativity, inclusivity, and cultural intelligence. How do you envision these qualities shaping resilient, forward-thinking event ecosystems in the years ahead?
Creativity, inclusivity, and cultural intelligence lie at the core of Moscow’s long-term MICE strategy. The Moscow School of Hospitality plays a key role here: it trains specialists in event design, intercultural communication, and guest experience, with a strong focus on understanding cultural nuances and respecting the traditions of international participants — including those from the Middle East.
Today’s congresses and exhibitions increasingly blend business agendas with immersive formats that reflect the cultural expectations of diverse audiences. In Moscow, this means designing programmes that can include meaningful ceremonial elements, tailored hospitality practices, and curated cultural components that honor the values and etiquette of different regions.
The city’s historic venues, repurposed industrial spaces, and cutting-edge innovation clusters offer flexible infrastructure for such hybrid concepts. Equally important are Moscow’s barrier-free environment, multilingual services, and advanced digital navigation systems, which ensure comfort, clarity, and inclusivity for all delegates.
By aligning creative thinking with cultural respect and sustainable practices, Moscow is shaping a resilient, human-centred MICE ecosystem — one capable of uniting global professionals, fostering trust and innovation, and strengthening the city’s position as a leading platform for international cooperation.
