Berlin (Germany) – February 26, 2020 (travelindex.com) – Russia is presenting itself as a fascinating destination for culturally interested visitors. The world’s largest country is the Convention & Culture Partner of the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show. ”We are delighted to have secured Russia as the Convention & Culture Partner of ITB. Russia has a very high standing in the international tourism industry. For visitors interested in art and culture its rich cultural heritage in particular is a special highlight“, said David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, at the partnership agreement signing on 5 November 2019 in London, and added: ”Russia has been exhibiting regularly at ITB Berlin since 1994 and will be strongly represented again this year in Hall 3.1. The ITB Berlin Convention will also feature fascinating topics on tourism trends in Russia.“
”The partnership with ITB Berlin 2020 provides us with an important platform to promote Russia and its huge cultural diversity as a tourism destination to a wide international audience“, said Zarina Doguzova, Head of Russian Federal Agency for Tourism.
Russia at the ITB Berlin Convention
As a Convention & Culture Partner, Russia will be represented with several sessions at the ITB Berlin Convention. Zarina Doguzova, will give a welcoming speech at the opening of the world’s largest tourism congress on Wednesday, March 4 in the CityCube Berlin (Room A4/A5) (10.45-10.50 a.m.). Also in the CityCube, a case study session on “Transforming the Global Tourism Industry by Breakthrough Travel Startups” will be held in cooperation with Russia on Thursday, 5 March from 3 to 3.45 pm. Panel guests are Ilya Gusakov, Head of Business Development, MAPS.ME, Nalatia Pukhova, Partner Relations Manager, Travelpayouts by Aviasales, Eugenia Strizhkina, Head of the Infrastructure Project Office, RussPass as well as Egor Yakovlev, Business Development Director, izi.TRAVEL.
On Destination Day, Friday, 6 March, 14.00-14.45 p.m., the panel “Destination Stereotypes: Video Marketing as Effective Tool for Image Creation” is on the agenda. Stereotypical perceptions of tourists are at the center of the discussion. Mila Ilushina, Head of Strategic Projects Department, Moscow Project Office for Tourism and Hospitality Development, Elena Lysenkova, Advisor of the Head, Federal Agency for Tourism Russia, Irina Sergeeva, Head of the Department of International Tourism, Federal Agency for Tourism Russia as well as Vladimir Varnavskii, CEO & Founder, VResorts, discuss the importance of video content as a success factor for building effective communication campaigns.
A nation of superlatives
Russia, with its long history and rich cultural heritage, is a country of superlatives. As part of both Europe and Asia it combines many different influences. Cultures from Western Europe, China and the Orient have produced a unique blend of art, architecture, music and spiritual influences.
Moscow is the hub of politics and business as well as Russia’s cultural center. The towers of the Kremlin with its red stars and the block-shaped architecture of the Stalin era, Red Square, the pulsating heart of Moscow and the scene of historical events, the Bolshoi Theatre, home to one of the world’s most famous ballet companies, are iconic examples of Russian culture. St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum houses one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious art exhibitions. The state-owned museum in the Winter Palace, built by the Tsar family over 250 years ago, which contains three million exhibits displayed in 300 rooms, is one of the largest and most magnificent art collections in the world.
The Trans-Siberian Railway offers a close-up experience of Russia’s many-faceted history, its traditions and legends. The world’s longest railway line is over 9,000 kilometers long, stretching from Moscow to Vladivostok on a journey that rolls through and connects Europe with Asia. Onion domes and Buddhist monasteries, deserts and the Taiga – the list of attractions is every bit as long as the Trans-Siberian Railway itself.
About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
ITB Berlin 2020 will be taking place from Wednesday, 4 to Sunday, 8 March, and from Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. In 2019 a total of 10,000 companies and organisations from 181 countries exhibited their products and services to around 160,000 visitors, including 113.500 trade visitors. Parallel with the show the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest event of its kind, will be held from Wednesday, 4 to Saturday, 7 March 2020. Russia is the official Convention & Culture Partner of ITB Berlin 2020. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is co-host, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), MC Group and Trip.com are Platinum Sponsors and Studiosus is Gold Sponsor. Admission to the ITB Berlin Convention is free for trade visitors and exhibitors.
