The Moscow City Tourism Committee is in discussions with the Indian government to establish a ‘group-free visa regime’ for tourists, which would allow a specified number of Indian tourists traveling together as a group to enter Russia without needing a visa.
Evgeny Kozlov, the chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, revealed that negotiations are ongoing with the Indian External Affairs Ministry to finalize the number of people required for a group to qualify for this facility. For example, in China, groups of 10-20 people are eligible for a similar scheme.
Kozlov highlighted that India is a crucial market for Moscow, ranking second after China in terms of tourists from far abroad. He emphasized that Indian tourists are notable for their spending power, averaging around USD 2,000 per person per trip.
Moscow received 19.7 million visitors in the first nine months of 2024, including 61,000 Indian tourists. By 2030, Moscow aims to attract 6 million foreign tourists, with a significant increase expected from India, the Asia-Pacific region, and other global areas.
Moscow’s focus has been on improving tourism infrastructure, promoting the city actively in key countries like India, and introducing an e-visa regime. The city is also targeting Business, Wedding, Family, and Film tourism, and Kozlov mentioned efforts to attract Indian production houses to shoot in Moscow, offering incentives under consideration.
