From 9 to 13 September 2019, St Petersburg is hosting
the 23rd session of the UNWTO General Assembly, the biggest
event in the global tourism industry. The city has welcomed about
1,100 members of the UNWTO representing 140 countries, including
100 representatives of tourism ministries from around the world. The General
Assembly will bring together more than 2,000 participants in total. The
Russian delegation will be led by Olga Golodets, Deputy Prime Minister of the
Russian Federation and Chairwoman of the Coordination Council for Tourism
Development in the Russian Federation. She will be joined by Zarina Doguzova,
Head of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency, Vyacheslav Fetisov,
UNWTO Ambassador from Russia, and major players of the Russian tourism
industry.
The 16 events of the Assembly’s business programme will be complemented by Saint Petersburg Travel Hub, a travel forum showcasing Russia’s tourism potential, which will be held for the first time at ExpoForum on 11–12 September. A total of 33 Russian regions will present their potential and best practices. The forum’s programme comprises 11 panel sessions, discussions, and roundtables on the industry’s topical issues such as creating a more comfortable urban environment, as well as transport, sustainability, and MICE promotion within Russia.
«This week Russia is hosting the tourism industry’s top players from across the globe. For many, it will be their first visit to Russia. We will use this unique opportunity to showcase the endless opportunities for developing tourism in thу country, share our own success stories with our international partners, and set the direction for the industry’s further development in line with the global trends,» said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the Russian President.
«This is the first time that the tourism industry’s
key event is held in Russia, and our city is honoured to play host to the forum. The
General Assembly will be an excellent opportunity to present St Petersburg and
other Russian regions, from Kamchatka to the Baltic, to the entire world. We
expect the introduction of e-visas from 1 October 2019 to encourage more
tourists to visit St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. St Petersburg has
prepared a vast and exciting exhibition for the forum. The city is keen to
foster stronger ties with Russian regions. Domestic tourism is an important
segment and should be promoted as strongly as inbound tourism. We are planning
a number of meetings between representatives of the Russian and international
tourism community. We will also offer a rich cultural programme to our guests,» said Alexander Beglov, Acting Governor
of St Petersburg.
The key events of the 23rd session of the
UNWTO General Assembly include the High-Level Forum on Medical and Health
Tourism, to be hosted at the Tauride Palace; a report by UNWTO’s
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, to be presented at the official opening
ceremony on 11 September at ExpoForum; and Ministerial Debates on
education and employment in tourism and the High-level Summit on Innovation and
Sustainable Development in Tourism to take place on 12 September as
side-events of the General Assembly.
«This week we have a very busy agenda
ahead of us. This is the first time that Russia is hosting a UN event of
this scale, and I would like to note that we are very pleased with the choice
of St Petersburg as the host city — the city gave us a great welcome,
and everything has been well organised,» said UNWTO
Senior Media Officer Marcelo Risi.
