Minsk, Moscow sign memorandum on tourism cooperation 

MINSK, 8 April (BelTA) — A memorandum of understanding and cooperation has been signed between the Economy Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee and the Moscow City Tourism Committee on the sidelines of the 4th Belarusian-Russian Tourism Congress and the international tourism forum Travel Hub Commonwealth, BelTA has learned.

The document was signed by Aleksandr Yevseyev, Chairman of the Economy Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, and Yevgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Moscow Mayor and Government Office and Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee.

According to Aleksandr Yevseyev, Moscow traditionally remains a key partner for Minsk in tourism, and Russian tourists’ interest in the Belarusian capital continues to grow. “Our relations are built on shared cultural and historical values, the absence of language barriers and visa restrictions. New mechanisms will be found to encourage more and more citizens of Belarus and Russia to travel. Minsk and Moscow are hubs that will concentrate ideas and tourist flows, which in the future will help boost tourism potential and allow us to learn more about each other,” he said.

Minsk is already among the most popular destinations for Russians. According to hotel booking statistics alone, in 2025, out of 1 million bookings, about 700,000 came from Russia. Organized tourism is also popular: out of 257,000 tourists, 250,000 were Russians.

Aleksandr Yevseyev stressed that joint projects and events play an important role in strengthening ties. “We are focused on further cooperation and developing relations in all areas,” he said.

In turn, Yevgeny Kozlov noted that the signing of the memorandum would serve as a foundation for further development of economic, investment and innovation projects in tourism, and would also make it possible to synchronize event calendars and step up efforts to attract tourists from third countries. “Minsk is a priority tourism partner for Moscow,” Yevgeny Kozlov noted. “There is mutual interest in designing new tourism products.”

In recent years, a number of initiatives have been implemented: from the Creative Laboratory to business missions and Minsk Days in Moscow. The parties are now working on a joint tourist route Moscow – Minsk and promoting the two cities through digital platforms. Joint marketing campaigns, including outdoor advertising in both capitals, are also planned. Priorities include the development of event tourism and the exchange of experience in analytics and promotion.

“Moscow is visited by tourists from 100 countries. According to surveys we conduct among tourists arriving from Belarus, 40% of those who answered the question about the purpose of their trip cited meetings with friends and relatives. Moscow is also a capital of event tourism. This is the second most important category,” Yevgeny Kozlov added. In addition, the Belarusian pavilion at VDNKh is very popular with all visitors.

According to the press service of the Minsk City Executive Committee, in recent years the Republic of Belarus and the regions of the Russian Federation have been actively developing tourism cooperation.

Moscow has always been a strategic partner for Minsk, and today the two capitals of the Union State have great potential for further development and strengthening of cooperation. Sightseeing programs, road trips, and holidays and health improvement at resorts are all in demand. Russian tourists highly appreciate Belarus’ natural wealth and historical heritage sites. At present, historical and cultural tourism in Minsk includes both organized excursions and tours, as well as unorganized individual and group trips for sightseeing purposes. The Belarusian capital is among the top cities popular with Russian travelers.

Minsk National Airport is facilitating the development of air links and making them more accessible as a key factor in tourism development. Moscow is one of the most popular destinations: more than 90 flights operate per week with an average load factor of over 93%. In 2025, passenger traffic on this route exceeded 1 million people. This year, from 29 March, Aeroflot increased the number of flights between the capitals from 4 to 5 daily, with plans to increase it to 6. In addition, the airline Pobeda plans to resume flights to Minsk from 20 April.

Major events have a positive impact on increasing tourist flows to the two capitals. The timely compilation of annual and seasonal event calendars makes it possible to inform potential tourists well in advance.

The number of organized tourists and sightseers who arrived in Minsk from the Russian Federation in 2025 increased by 42.6% compared with 2024. The number of Russian citizens who used hotels and similar accommodation facilities in Minsk last year increased by 10.5% compared with 2024.

Photos by Tatyana Matusevich/BelTA