EUROPE – A delegation from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), is on a week-long visit to Russia (14-21 March) at the invitation of the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation.
PATA Chief Executive Officer Martin Craigs and PATA Regional Director – East Asia, Ivy Chee, are visiting Moscow and St Petersburg. The visit is supported by long time PATA member, Lotte Group via its new Moscow hotel.
The visit is designed to introduce PATA to Russian travel stakeholders and lay the foundation for future co-operation. It also followed PATA’s Executive Board decision to expand its traditional boundaries.
The Association’s new five-year visitor forecasts (2014-2018) show arrivals from the Russian Federation into Asia Pacific are expected to grow from 6.1m in 2013 to 15m by 2018.
According to Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism, total arrivals to the Russian Federation reached 30.8m in 2013, representing an annual growth rate of nine per cent.
The PATA delegation also participated at the 4th International Travel Fair Intourmarket (ITM) 2014 and the 21st Moscow International Travel & Tourism (MITT) Exhibition.
Craigs also held productive meetings with the Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism Alexander Radkov and Deputy Head, Grigory Sarishvili. Topics discussed included visa facilitation, travel tax, human capital development (HCD) and market access enhancement.
At the invitation of the Vice-Rector of the Russian State University of Tourism and Service, Yuri Kopylov, Craigs and Ms Chee also held a Youth Forum for over 80 students.
One immediate result was the university signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for HCD co-operation with PATA.
Craigs said: “It is a pleasure with UNWTO friends in attendance to initiate mutually beneficial business building between 63 years young PATA and the fast expanding visitor economy across the Russian Federation.”
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