Indian tourists could soon enter Russia without a visa, if traveling in groups: Details here

Indian tourists may soon enjoy visa-free travel to Russia, but only when travelling in groups. The Moscow City Tourism Committee is currently in talks with the Indian government to establish a ‘group-free visa regime.’ This arrangement would allow a defined number of Indian travellers to enter Russia without a visa as long as they are travelling together.

Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, confirmed that discussions with India's External Affairs Ministry are focused on determining the required group size for this exemption. "For a group of tourists to travel to Russia visa-free, the specific number must be specified in the visit document. For instance, in the Chinese protocol, groups need to consist of 10-20 people," Kozlov shared with PTI.

India among top tourism markets for Moscow

Moscow is eyeing India as a priority market for boosting tourism. "For us, among the far abroad countries, China ranks at the number one position, followed by India," Kozlov said. He also noted that Indian tourists are significant spenders, with an average of $2,000 per person per trip.

Moscow recorded 19.7 million tourists between January and September 2024, including 61,000 Indian visitors. By 2030, the number of international tourists is expected to reach six million, mainly from CIS nations, the Asia-Pacific region, India, and the Middle East.

"In the last two years, we made the tourism image of Moscow our priority. There are three reasons for the increase in international visitors. First, we've been improving tourism infrastructure. Second, we are actively promoting Moscow in our key markets, including India. And third, we have introduced an e-visa regime," Kozlov explained.

Moscow looks to Bollywood to attract Indian tourists

Apart from business, wedding, and family tourism, Moscow also focuses on film tourism. The Moscow City Tourism Committee is in talks with Indian film production houses to invite them to shoot in Russia’s capital.

"We want to attract Indian visitors to Moscow through cinema. Our delegates are meeting with production houses and film directors to invite them to showcase Moscow City in their films. We are planning to provide them with incentives, which is still under discussion," Kozlov said.

With negotiations ongoing, the possibility of visa-free travel for Indian tourist groups to Russia could soon become a reality, further strengthening travel ties between the two countries.