CJMYPATA Travel Mart 2026, one of the Asia-Pacific region’s longest-standing international travel trade exhibitions, has opened in Malaysia. The first day focused on the event’s business and educational programs. Experts from the Center for Strategic Research and representatives of Russia’s national tourism brand, Discover Russia, presented Russian tourism products, new itineraries and opportunities for cooperation with partners across the Asia-Pacific region.
At the Sheraton Kuching Hotel, the Center for Strategic Research hosted a private networking lunch that brought together representatives of the Russian tourism industry and 17 leading tour operators from China, India and Malaysia. The discussion focused on developing inbound tourism to Russia, cooperating with Discover Russia, and creating new joint products for international travelers.
Participants were introduced to the updated Time to Travel 2026 catalog of tourism itineraries for international audiences, the autumn edition of the Ultimate Travel Guide and a range of tools designed to facilitate cooperation with international partners. These resources enable tourism professionals to explore the diversity of Russian destinations, the country’s cultural and natural attractions, and ready-made itineraries they can incorporate into international travel programs.
Pavel Smelov, Director General of the Centre for Strategic Research, said:
“There is already strong mutual interest in travel between Russia and Asian countries. However, the main opportunity lies not so much in further expanding existing tourist flows as in creating a new, modern and sustainable tourism market connecting Russia, Malaysia, China and India.
“Our participation in PATA has enabled us to become more deeply involved in the event’s business and communications agenda. We can see the positive impact of this format and intend to continue using it at future international exhibitions. The number of tourism professionals wishing to attend the business meeting was several times higher than the number of places available, confirming the international travel industry’s strong interest in Russia.
“New partnerships should help turn negotiations into tangible results—new itineraries and jointly developed tourism products. We expect the number of travelers wishing to return to Russia to continue growing, while their recommendations will attract new visitors. Ultimately, this will contribute to an increase in mutual tourist flows.”
UN Tourism data show that the Asia-Pacific tourism market continues to recover. In 2025, international tourist arrivals in the region increased by 6% to 331 million, although they remained 9% below 2019 levels.
These figures demonstrate that opportunities to develop new international tourist flows remain. Russia’s participation in PATA Travel Mart 2026 and its direct engagement with leading Asian tour operators are laying the foundations for new itineraries, jointly developed tourism products and sustainable growth in mutual travel.
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Lee-Jean Fung
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