Over the past five years, significant work has been carried out in the Commonwealth countries to improve the organizational structure and legal framework for the tourism sector. The particular attention has been paid to develop tourism infrastructure and improve the quality of tourism services. Efforts to promote interstate cooperation in tourism have intensified, including the growth of cross-border tourist routes potential and the development of new joint tourism initiatives and projects.
Sights of the Commonwealth countries
The key elements of the legal framework for developing the tourism sector within the CIS were the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism (in Russian), as well as the Strategy for the Development of Cooperation between the CIS Member States in Tourism for 2021–2030 (in Russian) and its implementation plans.
Travel HUB “Commonwealth” Forum. October 3, 2025, St. Petersburg.
The Travel HUB International Tourism Project “Commonwealth” (in Russian), launched in 2020, has made significant progress in promoting tourism in the CIS. Today, the forum is a reputable and sought-after tourism platform, as evidenced by the annual growth in participants and the extensive agenda for discussion. More than 900 tourism industry executives and specialists participated in the forum events in Minsk in April 2026.
IV Belarusian-Russian Tourism Congress and International Forum Travel Hub “Commonwealth”. April 8, 2026, Minsk.
The package of documents aimed at the tourism sector development to be signed by the CIS Heads of Government in this December includes a draft Statement on Cooperation in Tourism, draft Regulations on the “Thematic Year in the Tourism Sector of the Commonwealth,” Regulations on International Tourism Events of the CIS Member States, and Regulations on the Interstate Program “Tourism Capitals of the Commonwealth.”
Thanks to coordinated efforts, the tourism sector of the Commonwealth countries has demonstrated respectable results in international tourism rankings. In recent years, the industry’s growth rate has been two to three times higher than the global average. Domestic tourism and the high demand for mutual visits between the CIS countries are the absolute leaders in growth. Experts cite the visa absence, direct flights, low language barriers, and affordable tour prices compared to tourist trips to non-CIS countries as the main drivers of demand.
Recently, the tourism sector experts have noted an increasingly strong links between tourism and creative industries, which are seen as an important incentive for innovative development, economic diversification, and increased competitiveness. Therefore, the goal is to synchronize and standardize the conditions for the development of creative industries and identify opportunities for their integration into tourism products.
International Conference on Strengthening Cultural Ties and Developing Creative Industries.
St. Petersburg, June 18, 2026.
The idea of creating a unified tourism space for the Commonwealth will be further developed at the IV International Forum “Commonwealth of Fashion” on November 19-21, 2026 in St. Petersburg. The forum program includes six thematic blocks: economics, production, creative industries, human resources, cultural traditions, beauty, and health.
The forum organizers plan to focus on increasing tourist flows, promoting the cultural and tourism potential of CIS countries, and creating cross-border routes. Favorable conditions for this should be created by coordinating efforts in the development of the transport network, optimizing visa policies, and digitalizing tourism services.