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International Forum for Tourism opens in Sochi

Over 250 leading tourist companies from various Russian regions are taking part in the forum and congress dubbed “Domestic and Inbound Tourism Technologies and Service”

© Lebedev Artur/TASS

SOCHI, November 24. /TASS/. International Forum for Tourism SIFT 2016 has opened in Russia’s resort city of Sochi on Thursday following the first All-Russian Congress of Tour Operators held at the Rosa Khutor alpine resort on November 22-23.

“The domestic and inbound tourism market in Russia has huge potential, large amounts of funding are allocated to this industry and great development efforts are made. International Forum for Tourism in Sochi is aimed at showing the world that our country has much to offer to domestic and foreign tourists,” the organizers said.

Over 250 leading tourist companies from various Russian regions are taking part in the forum and congress dubbed “Domestic and Inbound Tourism Technologies and Service”.

Russian Presidential Aide Igor Levitin, head of the Federal Agency for Tourism Oleg Safonov, representatives of the Economic Development Ministry, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as the Crimean Ministry of Resorts and Tourism will address the forum speaking on the tourism development outlook in Russia.

An international exhibition dubbed ‘Resorts and Tourism. 2016-2017 Season’ will be held during the forum. Its main goal is to promote tourism activities during the autumn-winter period. Representatives of tourist companies will have a chance to take part in study tours of the local health resorts and places of interest. Talks on increasing the number of flights will be held with airline companies.

The forum is supported by Russia’s Culture Ministry, the Federal Agency for Tourism, the Russian Union of Travel Industry, the Russian Hotel Association and the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

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