In 2023 more than 9.4 million tourists visited Saint Petersburg
Keen to tap the India market, the Russian port city of Saint Petersburg, that had been the imperial capital of Russia for over 200 years, will participate at Indian travel trade event SATTE 2024.
According to a press statement, in 2023 more than 9.4 million tourists visited this historical centre, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Highlights of the city include palaces and parks, majestic cathedrals and monuments, the affluence of museums and the vibrant cultural life.
The statement adds that tours to Russia have become more accessible for citizens of India and 54 other countries as they are now eligible to obtain an electronic visa to Russia. The process of obtaining an electronic visa takes no more than four calendar days, regardless of whether it is a weekend or holiday with an application on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The statement adds that Saint Petersburg features a wide range of travel opportunities. Every year, the city offers new excursion routes that reveal the modern image of the metropolis with its creative spaces.
It says that Saint Petersburg is also actively developing pioneering types of tourism where travellers can take an unusual tour of industrial facilities, spend a weekend at a health resort or make new gastronomic discoveries.
According to the statement Saint Petersburg is also an ideal starting point for exploring other regions of Russia. The joint project of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, ‘Two Cities – Million Impressions’, will help to draw up an unusual and eventful route with visits to both capitals.
It says that for those discerning travellers who want to discover the beauty of the harsh northern nature, the richness of history and culture of the north-western part of Russia, trips to the cities of the ‘Silver Necklace of Russia’, a tourist project which unites 11 regions of the Northwestern Federal District of Russia, are suitable.
The statement adds that the city is also replete with MICE offerings, featuring unique exhibition and congress halls, hotels in various formats and categories, highly developed transport links and numerous sightseeing programmes for event managers.
According to the press statement, annually hundreds of different business conferences are held in the Northern Capital of Russia, including large-scale international events such as the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, the St Petersburg Cultural Forum and St Petersburg International Legal Forum, in addition to hosting rotating international events.
The statement adds that the city also boasts of grand wedding celebrations. Every year, thousands of couples decide to start a family have wedding holidays in the romantic atmosphere of the ‘Northern Venice’, as St Petersburg is also called.
It says that newlyweds are attracted by beautiful palaces for marriage ceremonies, luxurious hotels, restaurants with haute cuisine, and high-quality services for organising celebrations.
The statement adds that there is a strong emphasis on the quality of service in St Petersburg. The city’s companies take into account the peculiarities of the national cultural traditions of tourists, in particular the ones from India. It says that guests will be pleasantly surprised by the wide range of hotels, with various star ratings, levels of comfort and pricing policies, as well as the variety of restaurants, many of which have firmly established themselves in the top lists of both Russian and international rankings.
