The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation has announced the relaunch of the national tourism portal, Russia Travel, in collaboration with the Moscow-based service Russpass. The upgraded portal is now part of a comprehensive digital tourism ecosystem for the country. The announcement was made during the “Russia” international exhibition on December 28.
Originally established by the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism) in 2013, Russia Travel provides information about the country’s regions, landmarks, and attractions. According to Maxim Reshetnikov, the Head of the Ministry of Economic Development, the surge in tourism prompted the need for a unified platform offering useful information for travelers and assisting in trip planning, including ticket booking, hotel reservations, and excursions.
To achieve these goals, Russia Travel has been integrated with the Moscow-based Russpass platform. Russpass, known for its efficient engine, allows tourists to quickly and conveniently book various services. The collaboration aims to create a seamless experience for users by combining the regional content of Russpass with the national tourism information available on Russia Travel.
“We left the commercial part to our colleagues and integrated the common part, resulting in the national tourism portal,” explained Reshetnikov. The integration of the two portals now forms a large digital tourism ecosystem for the country, enabling users to access all the features of Russpass through the Russia Travel portal and vice versa.
The Ministry of Economic Development plans to further expand the digital platform by integrating all government resources related to maintaining registries of tourist facilities, including hotels, ski resorts, hiking trails, and tourist routes. Reshetnikov emphasized the goal of bringing together existing state resources while encouraging regions actively promoting their cities, villages, and attractions to join the unified platform.
Mikhail Shumakov, Deputy Head of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “National Priorities,” responsible for the content and promotion of Russia Travel, highlighted that the portal currently features over 140 materials divided into four thematic blocks. These include options for winter travel, national tourist routes suitable for individual and group trips throughout the year, as well as car routes for tourists and day-trip routes.
The platform also includes hotels classified by Rosaccreditation, and future updates are expected to introduce pedestrian and cycling routes, as well as tourist trains. The Ministry of Economic Development invites regions to integrate their tourism-related commercial projects with the nationwide platform, emphasizing that access to this shared product is open to all.
