1. Growth in GCC Tourism to Moscow

Q: How has Moscow experienced growth in tourist inflow from the UAE and GCC in recent years?
Over the past few years, Moscow has seen consistent growth in inbound tourism from the Gulf region. In fact, in 2024 alone, the city welcomed 337,400 visitors from the Middle East — a 1.4-fold increase compared to the previous year. Notably, the UAE is among our fastest-growing markets, with arrivals rising from 18,200 in 2019 to over 62,100 in 2024.

This upward trend is no coincidence. It is supported by improved air connectivity, simplified entry procedures, and tailored travel experiences. Moreover, satisfaction levels are high, with Middle Eastern visitors giving Moscow an average rating of 8.2 out of 10, according to our research. Clearly, we are moving in the right direction when it comes to accessibility, comfort, and hospitality.

2. Why GCC Travelers Should Visit Moscow

Q: Why should travellers from the UAE and GCC consider Moscow as their next holiday destination?
Moscow offers a compelling mix of centuries-old landmarks and modern flair. For example, Red Square, the Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theatre, and the Tretyakov Gallery are iconic sites that continue to attract Emirati and GCC visitors.

In addition, families enjoy attractions such as Dream Island Park, the Moscow Zoo, and the Central Children’s Store. Meanwhile, art lovers are increasingly drawn to the GES-2 House of Culture and the Museum of Russian Impressionism. Furthermore, Moscow City, with its skyscrapers and luxury shopping, provides a distinctly contemporary experience. Additionally, green urban spaces like Zaryadye Park and VDNH showcase ecological design and interactive museums.

Ultimately, the diversity of experiences — whether it’s exploring historic estates, cruising along the Moskva River, or enjoying panoramic views from Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel — makes Moscow a destination that appeals to all ages and travel styles.

3. Initiatives for Middle Eastern Tourists

Q: What initiatives has Moscow introduced to cater to Middle Eastern tourists?
To better serve Middle Eastern visitors, we’ve launched several targeted initiatives. These include regional marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships with tour operators, and active participation in key travel industry events.

For instance, in 2024, we hosted UAE Culture Days in Moscow, which welcomed more than 300,000 attendees and celebrated cultural exchange. Additionally, we developed the Muslim-Friendly Guide to Moscow, offering information on halal restaurants, prayer facilities, and cultural points of interest.

Moreover, five major tourist centres across the city now assist in Arabic and English. Over 100 certified guides are available in multiple languages. We also introduced a Welcome Pack for Middle Eastern guests, featuring discounts on accommodation, wellness, restaurants, and local experiences.

Thanks to the Discover Moscow portal and our official Snapchat account, visitors can easily access up-to-date tips and recommendations in both English and Arabic. As a result, planning a trip to Moscow has never been more convenient for GCC travelers.

4. Family-Friendly Experiences in Moscow

Q: How does Moscow cater to family experiences?
Moscow is increasingly recognized as a family-oriented destination. The city offers a wide variety of experiences for all ages — from nature-filled eco-parks and green boulevards to aquaparks, interactive museums, and amusement parks like Dream Island.

One of the highlights is the ‘Summer in Moscow’ festival. Designed with families in mind, it includes open-air theatre, live music, creative workshops, and cultural markets. These events are held in parks, estates, and central boulevards, encouraging families to explore the city together in a festive atmosphere. Best of all, most events are free and open to everyone — from Muscovites to international guests.

Consequently, with its safe infrastructure, welcoming hospitality, and child-friendly programming, Moscow continues to position itself as a top choice for families from the UAE and the broader GCC.

5. New Attractions in Moscow This Summe

Q: What are the newest attractions or experiences that Moscow is offering this summer season?
Summer is the perfect time to visit Moscow. From June to August, the city hosts the annual ‘Summer in Moscow’ festival, featuring over 1,000 outdoor events across parks, cultural venues, and heritage sites. Key highlights include:

• Moscow Estates Festival – Over 40 historic estates host theatrical performances and immersive heritage activities.
• Theatre Boulevard – A 92-day cultural season with more than 600 live shows across 14 open-air stages and over 3,000 performers.
• Gardens and Flowers Festival – Rare botanical installations and vibrant floral displays transform city parks and public spaces.
• Music in the Parks – Live jazz, rock, electronic, and acoustic music in iconic venues like Gorky Park and VDNH.
• Forum Moscow 2030 – A citywide forum-festival designed to immerse youth and families in the technologies, culture, and lifestyles of tomorrow’s world.

In conclusion, these seasonal events allow visitors to enjoy Moscow’s artistic and cultural energy in a refreshing and engaging environment. For those looking beyond the summer months, Moscow in winter is equally enchanting — with snow-covered streets, sparkling decorations, festive markets, and traditional seasonal events. Therefore, whether in summer or winter, Moscow is a year-round destination offering unforgettable experiences.

While technology has played an important role in the hospitality and tourism industry over the last decade, the world witnessed its accelerated growth over the past two years brought on by the effects of COVID-19 making it the primary disruptive force, globally.

The pandemic exposed weaknesses in the architecture of many business operations, and the hospitality industry is not an exception. The new era has enforced the need to digitize and virtualize, which is critical for the progress of every business. As technology advances at a rapid pace, organizations must keep track of the latest developments, especially in the dynamic and highly competitive hospitality industry.

Frank Wolfe, CEO, HFTP

Key reasons behind technology playing such an important role

Hospitality saw a massive upgrade during the pandemic, which has brought about great enhancements including improved customer services, operational efficiency, and has also helped hoteliers reduce costs, inevitably leading to its success.

The pandemic contributed to a strong desire to keep a distance that manifested in increased trust in technology. While the human touch of the hospitality experience will never be replaced, as it is a crucial part of the industry, smart technology has certainly heightened the growing demand for self-service, enabling hoteliers to not only meet but exceed guests’ expectations through a contactless experience.

Whether it is a quick and painless check-in by scanning a QR code or ordering room service from a tablet, guests want an easy and smooth experience that will ultimately boost the overall travel experience.

Technology in the hospitality industry

Success in hospitality is inevitably linked to cost-profit optimization and with technology now playing a key role, it acts as a one-time investment as opposed to a regular outflow of cash. Additionally, handling various processes manually not only results in an unseen number of hours wasted, that could be handled productively, but is also prone to human error.

Automation can ensure a streamlined working process from managing reservations and housekeeping to updating inventory, as well as maintaining multiple POS outlets and handling accounting or billing processes, saving a significant number of man-hours.

Some of the key technology that has become a part of a hotel’s DNA includes:

AI Chatbots: Artificial intelligence (AI) has made a significant mark across all industries and verticals in recent years with Gartner has predicted that by 2022, organizations will have an average of 35 AI projects in place — a major increase from an average of just four as of 2019.

AI-powered Chatbots allow businesses to simulate the behavior of humans within a conversational environment and help guests with making reservations, getting recommendations, addressing grievances, and much more, which in turn establishes customer loyalty.

NFC technology: Near-field communication (NFC) technology has most certainly become a game-changer in the industry. It is the next-generation, short-range, high-frequency wireless communication technology that is based on identification by RFID (radio-frequency identification) that gives users the ability to exchange data between devices.

Big hotel chains have already seen an improvement with the use of NFC technology as it allows a seamless guest experience by not only allowing check-ins to be automatic, but also improves security since the tags cannot easily be lost, erased, or forged like magnetic strip cards.

Robots in Hotels: In the hospitality industry, we have already witnessed a few outlets introducing robotics to carry out tasks traditionally performed by humans, including welcoming guests, taking orders, cleaning, and providing them with important customer information.

Gain a Competitive Advantage in the Hotel Industry

While some hoteliers fear that the quality of customer service and guest experience may be impacted by the frequency with which new hospitality technology hits the market, it can surely be said that customers have grown accustomed to utilizing said technology and only have higher expectations now on how one should conduct their business.

In conclusion, technology is here to stay and as such, hotel managers need to be updated on all the latest technologies to give them an edge and outpace the competition.