Russian port city of Saint Petersburg, known for its magnificent architecture and beauty, is keen to attract a large number of Indian travellers. With this objective in mind, a delegation of private and public stakeholders in tourism industry in St Petersburg is currently visiting India, holding roadshows.

A large delegation of tourism officials and private sector players from Saint Petersburg, dubbed the most romantic city in Russia, is currently visiting India, holding a series of events, including roadshows in Mumbai and Delhi, in order to get more Indian tourists to travel there.

While the first roadshow was held in Mumbai on September 7, the Saint Petersburg roadshow in Delhi attracted over 100 travel professionals from Delhi and neighbouring areas in the National Capital Region. The event aimed to present the numerous possibilities of St Petersburg as a multifaceted travel destination for Indian travellers. The roadshows were organised by the Committee for Tourism Development of Saint Petersburg and the St Petersburg state budgetary institution “City Tourist Information Bureau”, according to a press release.

Besides the roadshows, the St Petersburg team would also be participating in two international tourism exhibitions namely BLTM, an exclusive two-day B2B travel mart focussed on business, leisure travel and MICE and OTM, one of the largest trade shows in India, to maintain and renew ties with the tourism industry in Delhi and Mumbai, says the press statement.

At the roadshow in New Delhi, officials told Indian travel fraternity that St Petersburg was open and ready to welcome Indian tourists, with direct flights to Russia and payment mechanisms both for travel professionals and tourists. They also added that there was a plan to commence direct flights to St Petersburg.

“In the year of the 75th anniversary of Russia and India’s diplomatic relations, we value our partnership with India. We hope to develop our close ties now in the tourism exchange. Indian travellers are warmly welcome to Russia,” said Julia Aryaeva, Cultural Secretary of the Embassy of Russian Federation in New Delhi, during her greeting speech, referring to the 75^th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Russia.

“This year marks 55 years of relations between sister cities Mumbai and Saint Petersburg. We are aiming to promote St Petersburg as a year-round destination in the Indian market as we believe it is worth exploring its beautiful winter season. St Petersburg offers to be an ideal destination not just for MICE, family groups and leisure travellers, but also for India’s ever-growing destination weddings market and film shoots,” Prashant Chaudhary, the official partner of Visit Saint Petersburg in India added.

The series of events of the Committee for Tourism Development of St Petersburg in September-November this year includes the promotion of the city as a tourist destination in the markets of India, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.