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RUSSIA - MOSCOW. KONTAN’s visit to Moscow came as a pleasant surprise. The city far exceeded initial expectations—modern, well-organized, and offering a harmonious blend of rich history and cutting-edge technology. Historic buildings stand side by side with advanced urban infrastructure, creating an urban landscape that is not only visually striking but also functional and efficient.
Arriving in December, Moscow transforms itself to welcome Christmas and the New Year. Festive lights illuminate nearly every corner of the city, creating a warm atmosphere amid the winter cold. Notably, the Moscow city government uses real Christmas trees as decorations in public spaces across the city, adding an authentic and elegant touch. The city’s decorations feel deliberate, orderly, and refined, reflecting how aesthetics are thoughtfully integrated into urban planning.
KONTAN was invited by the Moscow Tourism Committee to attend the Meet Global MICE Congress 2025 and observe the city’s dynamics firsthand. Despite temperatures dropping to minus 6 degrees Celsius, the enthusiasm of Moscow residents remained high. Many people filled public spaces to enjoy year-end celebrations, ranging from street performances to large-scale decorative installations.
Beyond local residents, Moscow also attracts visitors from other cities across Russia. Tourist flows increase toward the end of the year, with many people traveling to the capital to visit seasonal markets and Christmas festivals held throughout the city. These activities not only boost economic activity but also reinforce Moscow’s role as a major center for celebrations and a premier winter tourism destination in Russia.
Like many global megacities, Moscow does face challenges. Traffic congestion being one of them. However, this is offset by the city’s strong commitment to pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Sidewalks are wide, clean, and well-connected across districts, making walking both comfortable and practical.
Moscow’s public transportation system is highly advanced and well-integrated, featuring a fast and precise underground metro, modern city buses, trams, and commuter trains that ensure smooth mobility across the city. The combination of walkability and efficient public transport makes Moscow feel like a truly global city, comfortable to explore even during winter.
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Between Perception and Limited Promotion
Experiencing Moscow firsthand provides important context for the city’s ambitions in the global MICE industry. Its modern infrastructure, efficient public transportation, and orderly urban planning clearly demonstrate Moscow’s readiness to host large-scale business events. These observations align with the views of international industry players attending the Meet Global MICE Congress 2025.
One of them is Christopher Kannesan, Vice President of Business Development at Singapore-based Searix, who visited Russia for the first time. According to Kannesan, Moscow leaves a strong impression as a MICE destination. He believes the city has more than sufficient infrastructure to accommodate large-scale events, from venue facilities to overall connectivity.
“I’m truly impressed. From a first-time visitor’s perspective, Moscow looks very ready to be a major and popular MICE destination,” Kannesan told KONTAN.
From an ASEAN perspective, he said Moscow actually has a “complete recipe” to compete with established MICE destinations such as Singapore or Malaysia. These strengths include three international airports, a well-developed road network, and an integrated urban transportation system. He also noted that the use of technology in event organization is already quite advanced.
However, Kannesan emphasized that Moscow’s main challenge lies not in physical readiness, but in perception and international promotion, particularly in ASEAN markets. Before visiting, he admitted he had very limited knowledge of Moscow’s potential as a MICE destination.
“Now that I’m here, I can clearly see the growth potential. But the outside world needs to know more about what Moscow actually offers,” he said.
He also highlighted the professionalism of event coordination during the congress. Compared to similar large-scale events in other regions, Kannesan observed that the MGMC team operates with a highly organized structure and clearly defined roles.
“The coordination is extremely well-managed. It shows how serious and prepared Moscow is in handling international-scale events,” he added.
Regarding barriers to MICE cooperation between Russia and ASEAN, Kannesan noted that visa issues are no longer a major obstacle. His Russian e-visa application took only about four working days and was completed entirely online. While distance and travel time remain considerations, he believes these can be offset if organizers are seeking a destination that offers a different experience.
Looking ahead, Kannesan sees strong potential for Moscow to attract incentive travel programs, trade exhibitions, and association conferences from Southeast Asia. The key, he said, lies in consistent global promotion.
“It’s about repetition. Keep showing up, keep promoting. Eventually people will ask, why not Moscow?” he said, comparing Moscow’s strategy to Indonesia’s efforts to promote MICE destinations beyond Bali.
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MICE Ambassador Program
Speaking to KONTAN and other international journalists on Wednesday (December 17, 2025), Head of the Business Tourism Development Department, Anastasia Popova, said Moscow continues to intensify efforts to expand its international presence. This year, the scale of the Meet Global MICE Congress increased significantly, with participating countries rising from 17 last year to 35 countries, and total visitors exceeding 2,500.
“This expansion serves as a strong foundation to attract even broader global participation in future editions,” Popova said.
However, Moscow’s international outreach does not rely solely on MGMC as its main showcase. The Moscow city government has rolled out various supporting programs to strengthen its position as a global MICE destination. One of them is the online certification initiative known as the Moscow MICE Ambassadors program, which was initially launched as a pilot project for a single country.
The program has since expanded rapidly, with more than 300 MICE Ambassadors collectively bringing over 3,500 business visitors to Moscow.
“Seeing the positive impact, this year we officially opened the Moscow MICE Ambassadors program to all countries,” she explained.
The Moscow city government hopes this initiative will encourage broader participation from international MICE companies and organizers, while further reinforcing Moscow’s position on the global MICE destination map.
