Hungary, Slovenia and More Countries as Russia Tourism Trade Meets in Ekaterinburg as EXPOTRAVEL 2026 Marks 30 Years

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Hungary, Slovenia and other tourism markets are set to draw fresh attention in Ekaterinburg as EXPOTRAVEL 2026 marks its 30th year. Held alongside the Russian Tour Operators Forum, the October gathering will connect destinations, operators, airlines and suppliers, supporting new travel products, commercial discussions and industry partnerships across the Urals.

EXPOTRAVEL 2026 will bring Russia’s tourism trade to Ekaterinburg on 15 and 16 October, pairing its anniversary exhibition with the Russian Tour Operators Forum. The combined event will place destination organisations, tour operators and travel suppliers in direct contact as the sector prepares products, partnerships and regional travel programmes nationally.

Russia Tourism Trade Meets in Ekaterinburg as EXPOTRAVEL 2026 Marks 30 Years

EXPOTRAVEL 2026 will bring Russia’s tourism trade to Ekaterinburg on 15 and 16 October, pairing its anniversary exhibition with the Russian Tour Operators Forum. The combined event will place destination organisations, tour operators and travel suppliers in direct contact as the sector prepares products, partnerships and regional travel programmes nationally.

The 30th anniversary edition of EXPOTRAVEL arrives at a time when travel companies are seeking practical ways to build products, widen distribution and create dependable business relationships. The exhibition will take place at the Business Exhibition Centre on Kuibysheva Street in Ekaterinburg, alongside the II Russian Tour Operators Forum.

For the travel industry, the value lies in the format. The exhibition provides a marketplace for tourism products and destination promotion. The parallel forum adds a programme focused on the pressures and opportunities facing tour operators. Together, the events are designed to give companies a place to meet partners, discuss routes and packages, and assess changing traveller demand.

A 30th anniversary exhibition with a B2B focus

EXPOTRAVEL has long served the Urals tourism market. It connects regional travel sellers with Russian destinations, overseas tourism offices, hotels, destination management companies and transport partners. Its location in Ekaterinburg is significant. The city is a major commercial centre between European Russia and Siberia, making it a useful meeting point for tourism businesses from several regions.

The 2026 exhibition is expected to bring together national tourism offices, international airlines, DMCs, Russian regional tourism bodies and tourism companies. These categories are central to an event where contracts, destination knowledge and market access matter as much as public-facing promotion.

National tourism offices use such exhibitions to explain entry rules, new routes, seasonal products and visitor experiences. For operators, these meetings can help shape group tours, tailor-made holidays, city breaks, winter programmes, resort packages and specialist itineraries.

Airlines and transport partners remain important to this commercial process. A tourism product needs practical access. Flight schedules, connecting options, group rates and airport links can shape whether an operator can sell a destination effectively from the Urals market.

DMCs, meanwhile, offer local expertise. They help turn a destination into a bookable programme by arranging guides, transfers, accommodation, excursions and on-the-ground support. Their presence gives Russian agents and tour operators a direct route to overseas product suppliers.

Forum places tour operators at the centre

The II Russian Tour Operators Forum will run at the same venue and on the same dates. It is organised by the Russian Union of Travel Industry, the City of Ekaterinburg and Sverdlovsk Region.

Its programme focuses on the people who build travel products across Russia. Planned sessions cover the role of tour operators in tourism development, legislation and taxation, sales and promotion, digital tools, and tourism case studies. A workshop format will also support direct talks between market participants.

This is particularly relevant for domestic and inbound tourism. Russia’s regions offer very different products, from industrial heritage and city breaks to nature, wellness, culture and rural experiences. However, those products need clear packaging, reliable partners and viable transport links before they can reach a wider market.

The forum’s practical day is expected to introduce participants to tourism facilities and less conventional visitor locations in Ekaterinburg and Sverdlovsk Region. Such visits can help operators assess whether a destination has the quality, access and distinctive experiences needed for saleable programmes.

The Russian Union of Travel Industry has reported registrations from companies across dozens of Russian regions, including Belarus-linked participation in earlier updates. That regional spread matters because the event is not limited to outbound travel. It is also a meeting place for receptive operators, regional authorities and companies building domestic itineraries.

What companies can expect from the exhibition

EXPOTRAVEL is relevant to businesses at several points in the travel supply chain. Tour operators can meet destination representatives and contracted suppliers. Travel agencies can learn about new products and identify reliable wholesalers. Hotels and resorts can raise awareness among sales partners. Regional tourism boards can present experiences that may be unfamiliar to buyers outside their home market.

The exhibition also gives destinations a chance to explain their travel proposition in person. This remains valuable even as sales and marketing move online. Face-to-face meetings can speed up trust, clarify operational details and lead to follow-up familiarisation trips, joint campaigns or contracting discussions.

For international exhibitors, Ekaterinburg offers access to travel trade professionals from the Urals and nearby regions. For Russian participants, the event provides an opportunity to compare overseas destination products with domestic alternatives and to seek fresh partnerships.

The 2026 exhibitor catalogue had not been publicly published at the time of research. It is therefore important to distinguish between confirmed exhibitor categories and companies or destinations that attended previous editions.

Previous exhibitors show EXPOTRAVEL’s international reach

The 2025 edition demonstrated the range of organisations that the exhibition can attract. Malaysia was a partner country, with hotel and DMC presentations. Uzbekistan was also strongly represented through its tourism authorities and destination promotion activities.

Previous reporting identified participation from tourism representatives and businesses connected with Uganda, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Vietnam and China. One Click Travel presented a winter flying programme, while Hungarian tourism and spa-hotel products also featured in the programme.

More than 100 tour operators were reported at the 2025 exhibition, which brought together participants from 11 countries. Pre-event material referred to more than 120 exhibitors, including tourism offices, operators, airlines, hotels and resorts.

These names and destinations indicate the exhibition’s established profile, but they should not be described as confirmed EXPOTRAVEL 2026 exhibitors until a current official list is released.

“EXPOTRAVEL 2026 offers a valuable meeting ground for destinations, tour operators and travel suppliers seeking stronger partnerships. Its joint format with the Russian Tour Operators Forum can help turn regional tourism ideas into practical, bookable experiences, while giving the Urals a stronger voice in the international travel marketplace.”
— Anup Kumar Keshan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World

Why the event matters for the Urals market

The combination of EXPOTRAVEL and the Russian Tour Operators Forum gives the Ekaterinburg event wider industry relevance than a conventional exhibition alone. It creates space for both product promotion and discussion about the structure of the travel business.

For tourism companies, the key question is not simply where travellers want to go. It is how products can be built, priced, promoted and delivered consistently. That requires collaboration between destinations, transport providers, accommodation businesses, tour operators and travel agents.

The event also places the spotlight on Russia’s regional tourism economy. As destinations compete for visitor spending, they need stronger stories, better product development and trade partners who can carry those products to market. Workshops, presentations and direct meetings can help create that pipeline.

With its anniversary edition, EXPOTRAVEL 2026 is expected to offer a focused platform for the travel trade to plan future seasons. The final value of the event will be measured in the partnerships formed, products launched and regional tourism opportunities that move from discussion into bookable travel.

EXPOTRAVEL 2026 gives Ekaterinburg a strategic role in Russia’s travel trade calendar. By combining an international tourism exhibition with the Russian Tour Operators Forum, it creates room for commercial meetings, destination promotion and product development. A named 2026 exhibitor list remains awaited, but the event’s industry purpose is clear.

EXPOTRAVEL 2026 reinforces Ekaterinburg’s position as a practical meeting point for Russian and international travel businesses. The anniversary exhibition creates opportunities for tourism offices, operators and suppliers to build contacts, assess products and shape future programmes. Its combined forum format gives regional tourism development a stronger commercial focus for seasons.