The Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) announced during a press conference in New Delhi on April 15 that Moscow, Russia, will be the host city for its 6th Convention.
Set to take place from July 10-13, 2025, the convention will be held at The Carlton, Moscow. It is expected to draw over 150 delegates from across India, aside from the association’s executive committee members and media representatives.
During the event, Indian travel agents will have opportunities to engage with local hotels, function venues, and DMCs to learn more about Moscow’s business events infrastructure and leisure offerings. There will also be a three-night post-convention tour to St Petersburg.
“The fact that Russia offers a convenient online visa facility for Indian travellers with a quick turnaround time of three days is helping to grow Indian outbound travel numbers to Moscow.
“We are seeing increasing interest from Indian corporates exploring new destinations like Moscow for incentive travel. With more direct air connectivity, MICE tourism from India to Russia could see exponential growth,” said Himanshu Patil, president, OTOAI.
“Many Indian business travellers return to Moscow with friends and family (for another visit), so we are also positioning Moscow as an ideal location for weddings and film shoots in the Indian market,” shared Anastasia Popova, head of the Business Tourism Development Department with Moscow City Tourism Committee. Presently, about 40 per cent of Indian travellers visit Moscow for business purposes.
Russia began offering e-visas to Indian passport holders starting August 1, 2023. Since then, the number of Indian tourists visiting Moscow has seen a significant surge.
In 2024, 85,800 Indian tourists visited the Russian capital – a 40 per cent increase compared to 2023. India now ranks second among non-CIS countries in terms of visitor arrivals to Moscow, trailing only China.
Aeroflot, Russia’s flag carrier, is currently the only airline offering direct flights between India and Moscow, with seven weekly services to New Delhi and three to Goa.
