Moscow: Expanding Tourism Through Partnerships
Moscow uses a wide range of tools — from joint initiatives with airlines to partnerships with tourism industry representatives — to attract foreign visitors.
Since last year, the city has been working with Aeroflot. In less than a year, joint projects have included trips to Moscow for Chinese bloggers (resulting in over 3 million views), an online game for Chinese users on the Discover Moscow website as part of the Chinese New Year in Moscow festival, and Aeroflot information stands at the Moscow Seasons in Beijing and Moscow Maslenitsa in Beijing festivals.
Facts & Figures
375 000 visitors
2.85 million people
968 000 visitors
500 000 visitors
825 000 visitors
2.85 million people
968 000 visitors
64 million participants
1.8 trillion rubles
2.8 mln international tourists
250 billion rubles
57 000 winter events
1.8 trillion rubles
2.8 mln international tourists
7000+ heritage sites
23 000+ eateries
1200+ parks and green zones
400+ events daily
450+ museums
23 000+ eateries
1200+ parks and green zones
In 2025, the city of Moscow signed an agreement with Aeroflot, which included the following:
- Trips for Chinese bloggers (reach: 3 million views) to Moscow were arranged.
- Aeroflot organised its own activities and had a booth at the Moscow Seasons in Beijing festival in 2025 and the Moscow Maslenitsa in Beijing festival in 2026.
- They jointly developed an online game on Discover Moscow’s website for Chinese users called "Red Envelope”. The main prize was tickets on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow. More than 1200 players took part, with a promotion reach of over 4 million.
- They distributed greeting cards on board for Chinese New Year, invited people to celebrate at a city-wide festival, and gave out special prizes (more than 20 000 cards were distributed).
Partnerships with international airlines are also growing. When Saudia Airlines operated its inaugural flight to Moscow, passengers, including bloggers and journalists, were invited to take part in a specially designed city programme. In collaboration with Flynas, a popular Saudi blogger visited Moscow and created his own itinerary.
The city also works closely with Chinese Airlines. As part of the Chinese New Year in Moscow festival, passengers arriving from Guangzhou on a China Southern Airlines flight were welcomed with live music and small gifts. A joint ticket raffle was also held with the airline at the Chunjie Time party, organised together with the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Moscow and VK at the Food Mall Depo.Moscow. Another airline, China Eastern Airlines, also took part in the Chinese New Year in Moscow festival by handing out festive postcards to passengers on flights departing for Moscow, and flight attendants wished them a happy Chinese New Year while inviting them to the festival, where the postcards could be exchanged for souvenirs.
In late December 2025, Domodedovo Airport hosted “Region Days” dedicated to Moscow. Visitors could stop by the “Winter in Moscow” information stand to learn more about the capital’s seasonal event series, take part in an interactive quiz to find out what kind of tourist they were, and receive themed stickers for taking part in the quiz. Moreover, visitors to the capital could explore the tasting area of the Moscow Tea Time project, where they were offered the signature Moscow tea blend served from a traditional samovar and introduced to the city’s traditions of hospitality. In February 2026, a video about the Chinese New Year in Moscow project — held in the capital from 16 February to 1 March — was shown in Aeroexpress carriages.
The city also works closely with the “gateways to the capital” — Moscow’s airports. For example, information stands with “Important Information for Tourists” leaflets have been installed at:
- M. V. Lomonosov Moscow Domodedovo Airport,
- A. S. Pushkin Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport,
- A. N. Tupolev Moscow Vnukovo International Airport.
In the near future, printed publications — the RUSSPASS Business Guide and Discover Moscow — will be distributed in baggage reclaim areas and business lounges at the city’s airports.
In addition to partnerships with aviation companies and enterprises, the capital organises large-scale events to promote its tourism potential abroad. These events introduce Moscow and its tourism offer to thousands of potential visitors. One example is the Moscow Seasons in Beijing festival, which took place from 12 to 15 June 2025 and was attended by 2.85 million people. The festival received a China Golden Awards for Excellence in Public Relations in the Government Communications category. In addition to its cultural programme, the festival also featured a business component, including the conference “Cities of the Future: The Synergy of Strategic Partnership between Moscow and Beijing”, attended by entrepreneurs and experts from sectors such as trade, industry, culture, transport, and many others.
In February this year, festivals dedicated to traditional spring celebrations took place simultaneously in Moscow and Beijing. Moscow Maslenitsa welcomed visitors in the Chinese capital for four days. Meanwhile, Moscow hosted its Chinese New Year festival for the third time. The event not only attracted large numbers of Muscovites and visitors to the city, but also drew significant attention from Chinese media, providing another opportunity to showcase Russia’s festive capital to audiences in the People’s Republic of China.
Successful festival projects are also being carried out with other countries. For example, last year Moscow Seasons in Kuwait attracted visitors, from students to members of the royal family. Moscow has also hosted festivals celebrating the cultures of India and Vietnam.
Another key area of work is cooperation with tourism industry professionals. The travel industry remains the main channel for international visitors, especially given the restrictions that can make independent travel more difficult. Moscow organises business missions to priority countries: in 2025, nine such missions were held, resulting in more than 15 000 meetings between entrepreneurs and over 4 000 contracts and agreements. It also organises trips to Moscow for representatives of foreign travel companies — last year, five such visits were arranged for partners from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, and India. Russia’s capital takes part in major international exhibitions such as OTM, SATTE, ATM, and the China International Tourism Industry Expo. In addition, it organises its own major industry events, including the first BRICS Tourism Forum, held in Moscow in 2024.
The capital also places special emphasis on promoting its tourism online. Moscow is present across all major Chinese social media platforms:
Its total follower count exceeds 1.2 million, and its content has been viewed over 200 million times. The city also actively works with international bloggers. For instance, in 2025, 17 trips were organised for bloggers from China, the Middle East, and India, resulting in more than 2 000 posts about Moscow on their channels.
Moscow is also adapting its urban infrastructure and services for international visitors. To support this, the city has developed the Discover Moscow ecosystem, which includes a website in English and Chinese (Discover Moscow), dedicated social media accounts, and — starting in 2026 — a printed English-language Discover Moscow magazine, distributed both abroad and at tourist locations across the city. These resources help visitors plan their itineraries and provide practical information on visas, flights, and other services.
DISCOVER MOSCOW Digital Ecosystem
