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OTDYKH Leisure Team Launches New Interview Series

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OTDYKH Leisure team launches new interview series with heads of international tourism boards on their experience, forecasts, recent updates and tips during forced isolation.

As part of the OTDYKH new interview series, Mr. Jeffri Munir, Tourism Attache and Director of the Malaysia National Tourism Office in Moscow, talk about a new post-COVID-19 reality.

Despite an outbreak of coronavirus, the Malaysia National Tourism Office in Moscow continues to actively communicate with colleagues and partners through online sources. Mr. Munir noted “we do a lot of virtual contacts such as video conferences, webinars, discussions and meetings”. With respect to the question of tourism recovery, Mr. Munir stated that Malaysia is considering the ‘travel bubbles’ concept to restart tourism. Read the full interview below.

In what format do you and your colleagues continue to work?

As the others, we are currently working from home and all communication with colleagues and partners being done online. We also do a lot of virtual contacts such as video conferences, webinars, discussions and meetings on the new norm opportunities to promote and market the destinations – Malaysia.

It’s important now not to cut off communication with partners and clients. How do you continue promoting your destination in a situation where borders are closed and work is remote? Could you share some advice?

Absolutely, with new norm working environment due the global pandemic outbreak, we cannot deny that keeping in-touch and maintain steady and good contact and communication with all partners and clients are very crucial and most important in order to equip everyone with ‘feeling good factors’, confident and safety information to coming back to Malaysia once borders are open. The Government of Malaysia via the Ministry of Health Malaysia has been very transparent in daily reporting on the situation and sharing various measures introduced and implemented to contain and stop the Covid19 chain in Malaysia from all angles. Timely, various SOPs from various sectors has been introduced and gazetted as an effort to raise the hygiene standards and transform cleanliness level of the people as well as to the tourism and public attractions and spaces, to increase the trustworthy and assurance to everyone about traveling and holidaying in Malaysia.

To ensure the good momentum of communication in the industry, the Malaysia National Tourism Office in Moscow have planned series of webinars and virtual discussions involving our Malaysia’s tourism players to provide them with the latest trend, business atmosphere and opportunity to engage with the Russian tourism players, especially when all the normal physical and face-to-face business roadshows and meetings have been stopped temporary.

Forecasts are now made very carefully, but still… According to your assessment, when do you expect tourist flow recovery, including from Russia?

While Malaysia is still closing to its international travellers, the domestic tourism is opened since June 10, 2020 to allow safe travel within the country.

We believe, the Government of Malaysia is looking for the right time to gradually re-opening Malaysia’s borders to allow safe travel for foreigners entering the country. As the global situation remain unpredictable, all action leading to open the borders need to be done with the necessary precautions and safeguards.

For a start, Malaysia under the spirit of ASEAN is considering on the ‘travel bubbles’ approach with its neighbours to safely kickstart regional tourism and resume travel ahead of a vaccine. Mooted by what has been introduced by the China and South Korea, the strategies are to develop standardised measures on health insurance and the assurance of the business travellers are negative tested for Covid19 prior to departure and upon arrival.

By doing this, Malaysia will be allowing tourists from countries assessed to be at equivalent or lower risk of community transmissions as Malaysia, for which essential travel in limited numbers and with safeguards, could be conducted safely.

At this juncture, Malaysia tourism is aiming for its domestic tourism recovery until the international borders open, which is planned at the end of August 2020. However, this is subject to the agreement between countries where the flights are flying from to Kuala Lumpur. As for Russia, due to no direct flights connecting Moscow – Kuala Lumpur, it is likely very much depending on any international flights making Kuala Lumpur as the final destinations.

If you wish to view other interviews from OTDYKH new interview series, please visit the exhibition website to get first-hand information on the latest tourism developments in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Slovak Republic, Israel, Sri Lanka, Sharjah , the Czech Republic as well as Singapore.

Exhibition website: https://www.tourismexpo.ru/leisure/en/news/

The next OTDYKH Leisure Fair will take place on September 8-10, 2020, at the Expocentre in Moscow, Russia.

More news about OTDYKH.

#rebuildingtravel

MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Huber, Project Manager, Travel Exhibitions Division, Euroexpo Exhibitions & Congress Development GmbH, Tel.: + 43 1 230 85 35 – 36, Fax: + 43 1 230 85 35 – 50/51, [email protected] , http://www.euro-expo.org/

Early Bird Registration is Now Open for 26th OTDYKH International Russian Travel Market

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Following the success of the 2019 event, the dates for the upcoming OTDYKH Leisure fair 2020 have been announced. Next year’s highly-anticipated three-day event will take place at the Expocentre in Moscow from September  8-10,2020.

The largest tourism event in Russia, this fair is unmissable for major competitors in the travel industry seeking to tap into the vast and ever-growing Russian travel market. Despite having fluctuated in recent years, from 2016 to 2017 Russian outbound tourism increased by an impressive 25%, rising a further 5.8% in 2018. With a population of almost 145 million, and given its key positioning between Europe and Asia, Russia is a primary player in the global travel industry with huge potential for companies providing travel-related services.

Russians also reportedly spend on average 42% more per person, per foreign holiday than their European counterparts. In 2018 Russia placed 8th on an UNTWO report which ranked countries by their contribution to outbound tourism. Russia’s total spending amounted to $31.1 billion USD, up almost 30% from the previous year. These statistics point to a flourishing trend in Russian outbound travel, and well as lucrative opportunities for companies looking to harness the Russian market.

The OTDYKH Leisure fair of 2020 will see the return of the many spectacular business networking events of the 2019 edition. The 2019 event welcomed almost 15,000 industry experts with 600 exhibitors from 35 countries and 41 Russian regions.

Highlights of the expo included a series of exclusive B2B marketing events for exhibitors, such as roundtable meetings between leading Russian tour operators and international organisations. Other features included a sales-call service, expert workshops and the B2B Speed Dating service which facilitated one-on-one meetings at exhibitors’ stands.

The highly popular Hosted Buyer program will also be making a comeback in 2020, establishing hundreds of meetings between high-level buyers, tour operators and travel agencies.

The Business Program in 2019 comprised of 45 business events with over 150 speakers and almost 2,700 participants and will be a winning feature of the upcoming expo when the OTDYKH Leisure fair returns on September 8, 2020.

Early bird booking rates are on limited release until December 31, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ms. Anna Huber at [email protected]  

International office: +43 1 230 85 35

Undiscovered Taipei at OTDYKH LEISURE Moscow 2019

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25th International Trade Fair for Travel & Tourism

Taipei is a place of numerous renowned unique features and highlight attractions. Topping the list is the famed Taipei 101 tower, its amazingly rich culinary scene and superb array of high tech-integrated service facilities. From old-city district to districts defined by fast pace and a rush to the future, and from destinations of natural scenery to the trendiest shopping malls, you can find it all in Taipei. Within an hour from downtown, let’s begin a natural-ecology exploration in a national park. Traditional culture and arts live in symbiosis with the hottest in tech trends. It all adds up to the most novel of city travel experiences. Beyond its fascinating history and its comforting, easy-to-use services, what invariably impresses visiting travelers most is the city’s welcoming warmth. The friendly people of fast-paced Taipei are always more than happy to stop whatever they are doing to help a visitor, welcoming the traveler to their city, their home.

Whether you’re exploring Taipei for the first time or on a repeat visit, marvelous new discoveries await around every corner. Novelty is an intrinsic part of the Taipei character, for perpetual action and movement are built into this city’s DNA, matching the DNA-level friendliness and hospitality. In order to make Taipei a must-visit city for both local and international tourists, Taipei continuously reaches out to communicate with the wide world and provides the latest in travel modes and unique innovative ideas, increasing its international visibility and degree of differentiation from other Asian cities. At the same time, the tourism and related industries have been brought together in the creation of cross-boundary, cross-industry tourism development targets. Innovation is married harmoniously with tradition, and within this innovation Taipei’s cultural heritage survives and thrives. We sincerely invite you to come visit and explore “Undiscovered Taipei,” a Taipei you’ve never seen before. Let’s tag Taipei to your list of “must-visit” travel destinations when you come to Asia.        

We are very excited to have the opportunity to introduce Taipei to you at OTDYKH LEISURE 2019, 25th International Trade Fair for Travel & Tourism. At our Taipei Pavilion for this event we have specially brought along iconic Taipei gift & souvenir food treats for guests to sample, and have also arranged unique cultural-creative experience activities at the pavilion to help guests get to know Taipei better. If interested in learning more about Taipei’s tourism resources, you are kindly invited to drop by our booth at OTDYKH Leisure 2019, Moscow, Expocentre Fairgrounds, Pavilion 2, Hall 1.

MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Huber, Project Manager, Travel Exhibitions Division, Euroexpo Exhibitions & Congress Development GmbH, Tel.: + 43 1 230 85 35 – 36, Fax: + 43 1 230 85 35 – 50/51, [email protected] , http://www.euro-expo.org/

Taiwan extends visa-waiver for Russians and increases stand at OTDYKH Leisure 2019

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Taiwan is officially extending its visa waiver for Russian citizens until July 31, 2020 to encourage an increase in Russian tourism to the island.

On September 6, 2018, Taiwan announced that Russians would be allowed to visit Taiwan without visas for up to 14 days if visiting for tourism, business, to see family or for some form of international exchange. Originally the program was only to last until July 31, 2019, but the success of the initiative has meant it is now being extended until July 31, 2020.

Official statistics for the island show that in 2017 only 9,226 Russian citizens visited Taiwan. Russian tourists usually visit as part of combined tours including other destinations such as Hong Kong and Macao. From January to May this year, almost 7,000 Russian tourists have visited Taiwan, double the number from the same time period last year. One incentive for Russians to visit the island is that they no longer have to buy a visa which previously cost $100 USD. Another incentive is the fact that two airlines have launched direct flights, flying weekly between Russia and Taiwan. Royal Flight has flights departing from Moscow and S7 has flights departing from Vladivostok. But Russian tourism in Taiwan has been relatively low compared with other popular destinations in Asia, mainly due to the lack of information about the island among travel agencies and Russian tourists.

Taiwan extends visa-waiver for Russians and increases stand at OTDYKH Leisure 2019

Taiwan is taking great measures to remedy this – in 2018 it participated for the first time in the OTDYKH trade fair, and this year has almost tripled the size of its stand, going from 18m2 last year to 50m2 this year. The aim is to strengthen ties between the Russian and Taiwanese tourism industries and to make information about Taiwan more readily available to Russian citizens. It also aims to maximize the success of the visa-waiver program to encourage a greater flow of Russian tourists to Taiwan. 

The 2019 OTDYKH expo is also very pleased to welcome a newcomer, the Taipei City, who joins the trade fair for the first time with an exclusive stand.

The 2019 expo will span across 15,000 m2 with a total of 180 speakers at 30 business events including workshops, presentations and seminars from industry professionals from all over the world. In 2018 the expo welcomed 38,000 visitors over the course of three days, and 287 media attendees from 80 media partners. This year will feature multiple conference halls with guest speakers and exclusive live performances.

Exhibitors are invited to participate and celebrate the 2019 OTDYKH Leisure trade fair and celebrate 25 years of the expo’s continued success.

For further information, please contact Ms. Anna Huber at [email protected] , International office: +43 1 230 85 35

Cuba announced as partner country for 2019 OTDYKH Leisure expo

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Cuba has made the exciting announcement that it will be the official partner country at the OTDYKH 2019 expo, which will take place in Moscow on September 10-12.

A long-time contributor to the OTDYKH Leisure Trade Fair, Cuba has been participating since 2001. Their sponsorship as partner for the 2019 expo will include an exciting display of traditional music, dance, cuisine and cocktails, from the country famous for its tropical salsa rhythms, vibrant attire and delicious mojitos.

This year Cuba makes an auspicious choice for partner country, as Russian tourism in Cuba has been flourishing in recent years. Last year a record 137,000 Russian tourists came to Cuba, marking in increase of 30% from 2017, a year in which Russian tourism in Cuba had seen a 70% increase from the previous year. These encouraging statistics put Russia in the top 10 source markets of Cuba. 

This comes at a time when the number of visitors to Cuba from European countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK has decreased by 10-13%. Cuba is also experiencing a decrease in tourism from countries in the Americas including Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela.  However, in spite of this downward trend, the Russian tourist market is steadily on the rise. Forecasts predict that there will be 150,000 Russian visitors to Cuba in 2019.

Cuba announced as partner country for 2019 OTDYKH Leisure expo

Not only is Cuba 2019’s partner country at the OTDYKH Leisure expo, but they have increased their stand to include more co-exhibitors, increasing the potential for trade between Russian and Cuban travel and tourism related companies.

The entire expo will span across 15,000 m2 with a total of 180 speakers at 30 business events including workshops, presentations and seminars from industry professionals from all over the world.

In 2018 the expo welcomed 38,000 visitors over the course of three days, and 287 media attendees from 80 media partners. This year will feature multiple conference halls with guest speakers and exclusive live performances.

Exhibitors are invited to participate and celebrate the 2019 OTDYKH Leisure trade fair and celebrate 25 years of the expo’s continued success.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ms. Anna Huber, International office: +43 1 230 85 35, [email protected]