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Horticulture Expo, Qatar 2023

The International Horticultural Expo 2023 is a major event that will be held in Qatar from October 2nd to March 28th. GoMosafer is committed to ensuring that you have a seamless travel experience to make your visit to the expo, located in Al Bidda Park in the heart of Doha, truly memorable with our complete Expo Package that meets all your Agro demands. The theme of the expo is ‘Green Desert, Better Environment’.

Canton Fair China 2023

The Canton Fair, hosted at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China on October 15 - November 4 2023 stands as the world’s oldest and largest trade fair, attracting 25,000 exhibitors and 200,000 global visitors. It serves as an exceptional platform for exporters and importers to discover new suppliers, establish business partnerships, and stay updated on industry trends. GoMosafer wishes to seamlessly integrate you into this experience, offering a comprehensive Travel Package from Qatar to enh

Qatar Tourist Visa

Unlock the Splendors of Qatar conveniently with GoMosafer's fast & expert Qatar Tourist Visa Services. Your Gateway to a Memorable Journey Awaits – Reach Out to Us Today for Hassle-Free Assistance and Expert Guidance!

GoMosafer was my lucky find! Now I completely depend on it for my ticket bookings, hotels, visas and planning my tour package! With GoMosafer, all I have to do is choose my holiday destination, and the rest is just taken care by them! I would highly recommend people to try the GoMosafer experience at least once- then I am sure, like me- even you shall become dependent on them!

Thank you for making my trip wonderful. It was a memorable trip and the special arrangement done by your team during this COVID issue is really appreciated. I'm looking forward to many more trips with the GOMOSAFER team.

We have been working with Mosafer Travels since we started our operation and without a doubt, they have always exceeded our expectations. Mosafer always explores different approaches to ensure that our needs are being taken cared of, From the updated booking portal, to great customer service of the team, to 24/7 assistance and different payment facilities, they're the best.

Mosafer Travel serving us with all our travel needs since our inception. During our journey with Mosafer, we experienced the support and professionalism of a travel partner, who always offered solutions upon situations, particularly during this pandemic, fitting our permitted travel budget. We highly recommend Mosafer Travels and wish them all the success.

Ever since the pre-opening of Hilton Pearl, Mosafer Travel has been serving us with all our travel needs, We happened to associate with the agency as the entire Hilton properties in Qatar were serviced by them since long. During our journey with Mosafer, we experienced the best of support and professionalism from them. We hope to maintain our ties for as long as we can.

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• C Ring Road, Blue Salon, Doha
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Mosafer Travel and Tourism

+974 44223777.

Mosafer Travel and Tourism was the outcome of our Chairman’s desire of relating His Passion to Travel in Business. Today Mosafer Travel is synonymous with dependable Travel services in the corporate and the online travel sector in Qatar. Mosafer Travel walks tall as its IATA accreditation and award-winning service profile providing Value-added services to leisure and business travelers alike.

www.GoMosafer.com – Our Online vertical is the first Online Travel Agency in Qatar. Not just the first, it is continually improvised to match International standards of online travel technology. It lays out go-to solutions for all the needs of a wide spectrum of travelers, in a seamless, efficacious and cost-effective manner. Right from the most affordable flight tickets to the hotel accommodation, that guarantee a blissful experience, we come up the best of deals, which are just a couple of clicks away from you.

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We are now THEQA Certified

• October 28, 2019

GoMosafer.com, Qatar’s first online travel agency, is proud and extremely elated to announce that we have been recently THEQA certified by the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

What is THEQA?

THEQA is a government-owned, not-for-profit Trustmark program, with the primary objective of inspiring trust and credibility in Qatar’s eCommerce ecosystem, empowering consumers and businesses to rapidly and safely grow the local eCommerce market. A Trustmark is an electronic label or visual representation indicating that an eMerchant has demonstrated its conformity to standards regarding business practice, privacy, and security.

A Theqa Trustmark certifies that a website is genuine. It reassures consumers that it has been approved by the MOTC to sell goods and services online, building trust, instilling confidence, and encouraging preference for local eCommerce sites.

What does the badge imply?

The THEQA badges assure you that you trust upon us is upheld with integrity. We have been humbled by the generous trust that you have conferred on us and we are committed to uphold the trust to the best of our ability.

The badge assures that our customers that they shall receive only quality service. GoMosafer is extremely proud of our high-grade quality in terms of customer service and tour packages.

GoMosafer has taken every precaution at hand to ensure the safety of your data and your personal information that you have entrusted upon us. Our strict data restrictions and protocols ensure that your personal and financial information is not shared to any third party and is used only for the purposes that you have agreed upon.

The Ministry of Transport and Communication awards the THEQA only to genuine e-commerce websites that choose to care about their customers.

With a customer-centric approach, GoMosafer routinely takes the initiative of understanding of our customers’ needs to increase our customer satisfaction and to curate customised travel solutions and holiday packages that cater to all the needs. We have also streamlined our communications with our customers with 24/7 WhatsApp availability to better resolve the hindrances faced by them.

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Travel agencies offer a variety of travel and tourism services. By facilitating and coordinating travel arrangements, travel agencies make planning and booking trips easier and more convenient. Qatar's travel industry is booming, and travel agencies have become a vital part of it, offering seamless travel experiences and easy access to the region's rich culture, modern attractions, and natural beauty.

Among the services offered by travel agencies in Qatar are flight bookings, tour packages, hotel reservations, visa assistance, travel insurance, and transportation arrangements. Travel services are offered both domestically and internationally, tailored to the client's unique preferences and needs. We have compiled a list of the top travel agencies in Qatar to help you with your vacation planning.

1) Mosafer Travel & Tourism

Founded in 2010, GoMosafer is an online division of Mosafer Travel, a neophyte travel agency in Qatar. With their well-traveled and trained staff, GoMosafer provides efficient, cost-effective travel solutions to every customer who trusts them with their holiday arrangements and budgeted tour packages. In addition to finding people their perfect holiday, they arrange everything from visas to transfers to insurance. Customer service is available 24X7.

Location and Contact Details of Mosafer Travel & Tourism  

Timings - 9am to 9pm, Friday closed

Services - Customised travel solutions, holiday and tour packages

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2) Victoria Travels

As one of Doha's leading travel agencies, Victoria Travels offers unique travel and tourism services. Its team of over 100 highly qualified and experienced professionals is dedicated to providing its clients with 5-star services delivered with accuracy, efficiency, speed, timeliness, and transparency. 

Location and Contact Details of Victoria Travels Branches  

3) Orbit Travel & Tours

Orbit Travel & Tours provide a range of travel and tourism services. There are more than 7 branches in Qatar. The company also launched a wellness tourism division called "Orbit Wellness" and an exclusive VIP launch, "Orbit VIP".

Location and Contact Details of Orbit Travel & Tours Branches 

Services - Airline reservations, hotel reservations, tour packages, ticketing, tailor-made holidays, travel insurance, car rental

4) Ambassador Travels

As Qatar's leading travel agency, Ambassador Travel has served clients with quality and reliability since 1988. Known for its expertise and extensive network, Ambassador Travels offers a wide variety of destinations with an unparalleled selection of sites, luxury accommodations and quality service, as well as the richest choice of locations across the globe.

Location and Contact Details of Ambassador Travels Branches  

Timings - Saturday to Wednesday 8am to 12pm, 4pm to 8pm, Thursday 8am to 10pm, Friday closed

Services - Airline ticketing, holiday packages, cruise holidays, hotel reservations, travel insurance, visa assistance, car rentals, international driving license worldwide to individuals, families, corporates, organizations

5) Regency Travel & Tours

The company is Qatar's leading travel and tour management company, helping corporate and private clients explore the world in luxury. They offer highly competitive rates due to their strong partnerships with top hotels and airlines. Anywhere in the world you wish to travel, they will work with you to design bespoke travel plans to ensure a memorable trip.

Location and Contact Details of Regency Travel & Tours Branches  

Timings - Open 24 hours

Services - Ticketing, visas, hotels and apartments, cruises, worldwide car rental, private jets, travel insurance

6) Darwish Holidays

Under the Darwish Travel Group, Darwish Holidays stands for high-quality and exceptional holiday travel services. They have highly experienced holiday specialists who can handle even the most complicated travel arrangements anywhere in the world. Whether it's a family vacation or a business trip, you can feel confident traveling with Darwish Holidays.

Location and Contact Details of Darwish Holidays Branches

Timings - 8am to 7pm, Friday closed

Services - Holiday packages, Qatar tours and sightseeing, cruises, corporate travel, cargo services

7) Akbar Travels

The top travel brand from India and a leading brand in the entire Middle East, Akbar Travels Of India W.L.L Qatar offers the best travel services at a competitive price. With a focus on creating holidays unique to you, they combine first-hand experience with exceptional special offers.

Location and Contact Details of Akbar Travels Branches 

Timings - Sunday to Friday 9am to 9pm, Saturday 5pm to 9pm

Services - Individual travel, group travel, family travel, cruise bookings, MICE (meetings/incentives/conferences/events), educational tours, customized tour packages, corporate ticketing, incentive tours & special rates for hotel bookings, special theme parties/events (gala/theme dinner etc.), adventure sports packages, pilgrimage packages, honeymoon packages

Download the Akbar Travels App for Android

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8) E-ZY Travels

As a full-service travel agency with passion for work, E-ZY Travels provides unforgettable and affordable travel experiences to its customers. The agency is run and managed by a group of professionals with more than five decades' experience in the travel industry. With a wide range of choices, they utilize their domain expertise and worldwide associations to provide top-quality services at the best prices.

Location and Contact Details of E-ZY Travels  

Timings - 8.30am to 8.30pm, Friday closed

Services - Domestic and international travel, world wide hotel reservations, car hire, meet and greet services, medical tourism packages, eurails tickets, star cruises, travel health insurance, international driving license, tour packages, umrah packages and visa assistance

9) RAG Tours & Travels

One of the leading travel companies in Doha, Qatar is RAG Tours and Travels. For years, the company has provided travelers with quality and value travel management solutions, along with exceptional customer service. They have an experienced travel management team who can provide you with creative travel solutions and is passionate about offering travel solutions that meet everyone’s budget. 

Location and Contact Details of RAG Tours & Travels  

10) AVENS Travel & Tours

Founded in Doha, Avens Travel & Tours provides a diverse range of outstanding Travel & Tourism services and is a one-stop travel shop that provides a complete range of travel related services. Avens travel solutions are innovative and cost-effective for business and leisure travelers. Their staff's knowledge and skills make it possible to provide exceptional customer service.

Location and Contact Details of AVENS Travel & Tours Branches  

Timings - Saturday to Thursday 8am to 11pm, Friday 4pm to 11pm

Services - Airline reservation and ticketing, hotel booking and holiday packages, worldwide visa assistance, travel insurance, car rentals and limousine services, individual and group tours, train/coach tours and cruises, international driving licenses, educational and medical packages, MICE and event management services, Qatar tours and safaris, wellness and spa

11) Europe Travels

With the desire to serve world-class travel experiences, Europe Travels was founded in 2008 and specializes in business and leisure travel arrangements. They have a team of highly qualified, experienced, trained, and dedicated professionals offering high quality, reliable and personalized services to their customers.

Location and Contact Details of Europe Travels Branches 

Timings - 9am to 1pm, 4pm to 9pm

Services - Holiday packages, airline ticketing, travel insurance, global hotel booking, cruise booking, world wide transfer, international driving license, eurail products, rent a car

12) Doha Holiday Travel & Tourism

As a leading Qatar-based travel company, Doha Holiday Travel & Tourism WLL offers ready-made packages and customized journeys for independent travelers and corporations alike. With their unique and personalized customer service, they provide all travel solutions under one roof. 

Location and Contact Details of Doha Holiday Travel & Tourism

Timings - 9am to 1pm, 4.30pm to 9.30pm, Friday closed

Services - Travel planning, destinations, organizing excursions and safaris, cruises, Umrah services and ticketing, airline tickets, visas, worldwide hotel reservations

13) Overseas Travel Bureau

A native Doha-based travel agency established in 1992, Overseas Travel Bureau (OTB) is one of Qatar's top travel management firms that has nurtured a team of experts and passionate travel enthusiasts.

Location and Contact Details of the Overseas Travel Bureau

Timings - Sunday to Thursday 8am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 9am to 10pm

Services - Business travel, charter flights, cruises educational, international driving license, medical tours, hotel apartments, meet and assist services, MICE, tours, reservation and ticketing, spas, travel insurance, car rentals, hotel reservations, sightseeing tours, visa assistance

How to Choose the Right Travel Agency

In order to ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel experience, it is vital to choose the right travel agency. The following tips will help you select the right travel agency in Qatar:

1) Online Research: Start your search for Qatar travel agencies online by checking out their websites, social media profiles, and customer reviews to see which agencies have a strong online presence.

2) Check for Accreditation: Make sure the agency is accredited by the relevant industry associations and government bodies. In Qatar, travel agencies are required to register with the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).

3) Recommendations: Seek recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues who have used travel agencies in Qatar. 

4) Look for Reviews: Travel agencies' reputations can be assessed by reading online reviews and testimonials from past clients on sites like TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Yelp.

5) Visit the Office: Visit the travel agency's office if possible to see if it is well-maintained and professional.

6) Check for Services: Choose a travel agency that offers the services you require. 

7) Ask about Experience: Consult the agency about its experience planning trips to your preferred locations. 

8) Compare Prices: Comparing prices and making sure they are competitive is essential, even if they shouldn't be the only factor.

9) Inquire About Hidden Fees: Ensure that you are aware of any hidden fees or extra charges associated with your trip.

10) Check Cancellation and Refund Policies: Make sure you understand the agency's cancellation and refund policies.

11) Communication: Ensure that the agency responds to your inquiries and provides clear, timely information.

12) Verify Licensing and Insurance: Check to see if the travel agency is licensed and has adequate insurance coverage. This can help protect you in case of unforeseen issues.

13) Customization: Ask the agency if they can customize your itinerary based on your preferences or requirements.

Take your time to research and make an informed decision when choosing your travel agency to ensure a hassle-free and memorable trip.

To conclude, the Qatari travel industry plays a crucial role in facilitating travel and tourism for individuals and groups. The agencies offer a range of services and expertise to ensure travelers have a pleasant and memorable journey. In Qatar's vibrant tourism industry, they play a crucial role by adapting to changing travel trends and providing excellent customer service.

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Travel startups: Disruption from within?

Startups play an essential role in spearheading innovation that benefits consumers, businesses, and industries. But travel startups have been underfunded when compared to startups in other sectors. Looking back over the past 15 years, the travel and tourism industry received around 1 percent of funding for startups across all industries. 1 McKinsey analysis based on PitchBook Data, Inc.. This relatively low level of investment stands out in contrast to the industry’s size: Travel and tourism contributed to over 10 percent of global GDP in 2019. 2 “Travel & Tourism: Economic impact 2022,” World Travel & Tourism Council, June 14, 2022. These factors suggest that it’s a tough industry in which to raise money.

Despite these funding challenges, and unprecedented industry uncertainties, over $27 billion worth of investments were poured into travel companies from 2020 to 2022. In fact, in 2021, investment set a new record of just under $11 billion—indicating that investor appetite has not only returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, but even surpassed it.

About this research

Analysis is based on information obtained from the Phocuswright startup database. Funding was analyzed from 2005 to 2022 YTD (including November 2022), based on a sample of 3,865 startups. This included 6,395 funding rounds, accounting for $76 billion in funding (exhibit).

Given this context, a new report Travel startups: Disruption from within–or not? presents an overview of the travel startup environment, and how the funding landscape has evolved across geographies, and across the different types of travel startups. Analysis is based on information obtained from the Phocuswright startup database and draws on insights from industry executives (see sidebar, “About this research”).

The report examines the kinds of investors that are funding these startups—and the types of businesses they choose for investment. It also puts forward possible future scenarios that would have implications for travel companies and stakeholders in the startup space. This article presents some of the key findings.

Fewer travel startups are attracting funding, but when they do, they secure a substantial amount

Even though funding may be hard to come by, compared to other sectors, investors are interested in travel and tourism. Investment in travel startups has returned to pre-pandemic levels and has even surpassed record-breaking years in the past, such as 2015 and 2019. These peaks were achieved through significant acquisitions that may have consolidated the market. For instance the online travel agency Expedia acquired HomeAway for $3.9 billion in 2015. 3 “Expedia to acquire HomeAway, Inc.,” Expedia media statement, PR Newswire, November 4, 2015.

Furthermore, funding per round has increased over the past decade from an average of around $4 million in 2010 to $20 million in 2022, with the steepest increase seen during the pandemic (Exhibit 1). This indicates that fewer travel startups could be attracting funding, but when they do, they secure a substantial amount. In essence, the relatively small amount of funding that exists is shifting toward fewer startups.

Funding has shifted toward more mature startups

Q&a with johannes reck, ceo of getyourguide.

Johannes Reck is CEO of GetYourGuide, a Berlin-based online travel agency and online marketplace for tours, attractions, and excursions. The company’s website and app connects travelers with activity providers around the world, offering thousands of products in more than 20 languages, and 40 currencies. He shares his views on the investment landscape for travel startups:

What patterns have you noticed regarding investment in travel startups?

At a high level I would say that too little VC money flows into travel altogether, probably due to the market cap that has been realized, and that startups in the scaling phase still have to demonstrate profitability to attract funding. It’s also important not to generalize the way we think about startups—they range in size and maturity from two employees to major disruptors. Essentially, if innovation is not yet proven, then there is little or no money coming in, and this is especially true in Europe.

Are certain types of startups attracting more investor interest than others?

There are category leaders emerging in many areas, such as flights, accommodation, and experiences. I think investors have no appetite to pour money into a number three or four in any given category. And because of the global network effect in travel, it’s really difficult to design a new category. For instance, the chance that a new company could fundamentally disrupt an established concept such as Airbnb, or Booking.com, is limited because of the network effect that locks in global supply and demand—and that’s what makes category leaders so defensible.

Furthermore, there is a perception that as large firms are so big, they can do everything, and that may scare away a lot of investors from betting on a smaller innovative company. The presence of large incumbents may stifle innovation—but startups have a central role to play in this regard and can benefit the entire industry.

What role do you think travel companies could play in the startup landscape?

I think travel companies have to invest in innovation now, otherwise they could be worse positioned in a future crisis. Essentially, travel companies could look at how investing in startups could strengthen all areas of their value chain. They could also focus on the value that innovation will bring to the industry, instead of investing only with profit in mind.

That said, there may be room for travel companies to look at M&A. There is much less competition, compared to pre-COVID-19, and acquisition is now much more efficient. This means that companies could be in a position to grow—much faster and with less effort.

Across industries, later-stage funding (i.e., Series B, C, D) has made up the majority of startup investment (Exhibit 2). Between 2020 and 2022, more acquisitions (e.g., Getaroom.com and On Location Experiences) and public financing rounds (e.g., Sonder and Vacasa) took place than in previous years. This could be symptomatic of a trend: Investors may want to back category leaders that have reached scale (See sidebar, “Q&A with Johannes Reck, CEO of GetYourGuide”).

Hospitality startups remain the leading category for investment

Most recent funding has been channeled to hospitality startups, making up 49 percent of investment between 2015 and 2019, and 41 percent between 2020 and 2022. This is likely due to the rising popularity of short-term rentals. Startups providing services for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb or AvantStay, accounted for 55 percent of hospitality startup funding in 2021.

Business travel startups doubled their share of investment during the pandemic, and within this category, startups in the corporate segment, such as the expense-management software provider Divvy, secured 98 percent of funding between 2020 and 2022. The MICE segment received the remaining 2 percent, likely due to the decrease in events during the pandemic.

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In the same period, booking and transport startups lost some share of funding as investor priorities may have shifted during the crisis. In the booking category, online travel agency businesses secured 90 percent of funding.

Overall, the pre-trip category remains the least funded, having attracted 1 percent of total funding in the past seven years. Within this category, startups in insurance attracted 84 percent of funding in 2021 (Exhibit 3).

Travel companies account for a relatively small percentage of travel startup funding

Since 2015, five categories of investors have funded travel startups:

• Angel and private investors: These investors oversaw 138 rounds of capital raising totaling $3.6 billion between 2015 and 2021.
• Banks and the public sector: These institutions oversaw 125 funding rounds, totaling $6.4 billion. Much of this funding took place in 2021, likely due to pandemic-related bailouts and large rounds of debt funding.
• Venture capital (VC) and VC-orientated private equity (PE) firms: This group raised 2,090 rounds of funding, totaling $72 billion.
• Travel companies: These are frequently in-house incubators or joint ventures that provide potential businesses with direct support. Travel companies raised $7.8 billion in investment through 389 rounds.
• Non-travel companies: Despite not being in the tourism sector, these companies raised more money ($12.5 billion) in 264 rounds than their travel-industry counterparts.

Overall, VCs have been the leading investor category, and spent nine times more than travel companies in 2021. Since 2015, travel companies accounted for a relatively small percentage of startup funding, and this has decreased in recent years, dropping from 18 percent in 2020 to 5 percent in 2021.

Between 2015 and 2019, VCs and PEs invested at least twice as much per funding round compared to travel companies. Average funding size was roughly $37 million for VCs and PEs, compared to $17 million for travel companies. This leveled out between 2020 and 2022 where both groups invested approximately $30 million on average per funding round.

In 2021, banks greatly increased their investment share and matched VC investments, likely driven by increases in debt funding (Exhibit 4).

The travel industry could benefit from supporting startups

To date, travel companies have played a very small role in investing in the industry. As startups generally spearhead innovation, travel companies could take up opportunities to support startups—and reap the benefits. Furthermore, by not supporting, or finding ways to engage other players in the industry, travel companies may be missing an opportunity to shape the next generation of travel businesses. And as the investment landscape becomes tougher, travel companies are well placed to ensure that the innovation pipeline continues to flourish, even if VCs and larger players withdraw.

Travel companies could become more involved in investing in the industry and bring their expertise to bear on innovation and the sorts of capabilities and technologies that may be needed. And they stand to gain from leveraging startup capabilities in-house. Research into collaboration between corporates and startups in other industries shows that both parties stand to benefit. Startups can benefit from corporate funding, resources, and customer access, while corporates may need the innovation that startups offer to stay ahead of competitors and disruption, and also to access new technology. 4 “Collaborations between corporates and startups,” McKinsey, May 2020.

Three possible future scenarios could materialize in light of the trends in travel startup funding.

• Incumbent-driven consolidation: In this scenario, sustained emphasis on short-term profitability due to inflation and increasing cost of capital would make it difficult for travel startups to attract funding and gain ground in the industry. Funding rounds would be smaller due to early exits, closures, bankruptcies, or consolidation by established and scaled technology-driven firms. Established players would focus more on developing products and services that can be scaled globally and less on optimizing backend processes where rapid scale-up is potentially more challenging, such as manual check-in processes in hotels. This situation would lead to less innovation across the industry. In the long run, reduced innovation due to less startup diversity may require more in-house innovation for optimizing backend processes and technology.
• Emergence of multiple niche startups: Early-stage startups would see sustained and potentially increased funding, while funding for startups in the later stages would plummet. This could lead to an exit wave across later-stage startups due to bankruptcies. At the same time, a wave of new, more diversified, startups could emerge that aim to tackle a variety of niche problems in the industry, such as core technology elements. The result could be an even broader but more fragmented ecosystem of new industry players, leading to higher levels of innovation throughout the industry. Travel companies could acquire distressed startups, at lower valuations, which would boost in-house innovation and allow incumbents to provide new offerings.
• Travel startups golden 20s: In this scenario, travel startups across all growth stages and categories would see continuous increases in funding and growth. There would also be an increase in larger investments aimed at developing technology and core industry processes such as AI-enabled fulfillment, and disruption management. Innovation could flourish across the industry. In this fast-growing landscape, competition for funding would intensify and investors’ expectations around performance could increase. At the same time, collaboration would become more complex due to the diversified landscape of partners and suppliers. Established businesses would need to build in-house innovation capabilities organically or acquire them. Differentiation would become more difficult and several leading incumbents may be replaced by new challengers in the market.

However the future pans out, support for startups can boost innovation and strengthen the travel and tourism value chain, for all participants.

Giuseppe Genovese is a consultant in McKinsey’s Dallas office, Evgeni Kochman is an associate partner in the Frankfurt office, Vik Krishnan is a partner in the San Francisco office, and Nina Wittkamp is a partner in the Munich office.

The authors wish to thank Karel Dörner, Markus Berger-de León, Patrick Naef, and Christian Dominka, for their contributions to this report.

The authors also wish to thank Hollis Thomases, a senior research analyst at Phocuswright, Chetan Kapoor, a research analyst Asia Pacific at Phocuswright, and Johannes Reck, CEO of GetYourGuide.

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Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Christmas gift guide to Moscow surroundings

Visitors from America and Western Europe might be surprised to discover that Russia celebrates Christmas on January 7th. That’s because the Russian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar. After the end of the Soviet Union, some Russians have begun celebrating Christmas on December 25 in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. But many Russians still observe the tradition of fasting on January 6th, breaking the fast with a large feast on Christmas Eve after the first star has appeared in the sky.

During the Soviet era, Christmas and religious traditions were banned in Russia. Santa Claus was replaced by Ded Moroz, or, Grandfather Frost, an old man with a long white beard who would bring gifts to children on New Year’s instead of Christmas. According to Russian tradition, Ded Moroz is accompanied by his granddaughter, Snegurochka, the Snowmaiden, who helps him on his journey to give presents to children.

Although the tradition of having a Christmas tree, known as a yolka in Russian, was also banned during Soviet times, Russians got around this by having New Year’s trees from which they hung homemade decorations. Today, the restrictions of the Soviet Union have faded into history, and during the Christmas season visitors to Russia can even purchase Christmas ornaments in the shape of matryoshka dolls, or religious icons that depict nativity scenes.

Heading counterclockwise around the Golden Ring this holiday season, northeast of Moscow, your first stop will most likely be the city of Vladimir, home to some of Russia’s most striking churches and cathedrals. The Vladimir region is known for its fine crystal. Stop by the Crystal, Lacquer Miniatures, and Embroidery Museum ( 2 Bolshaya Moskovskaya ) for an overview of traditional crafts before visiting the gift shop in the museum to browse the crystal selection. Vladimir Chic ( 2 Dvoryanskaya ) also sells local glass and crystal work.

Typical souvenirs are also for sale in Vladimir’s old town, especially by the Golden Gate, a triumphal arch and defensive tower that is one of the last-remaining parts of the wall that once surrounded ancient Vladimir and a sure stop on any tour of the Golden Ring.

Just 63 kilometers from Vladimir lays the nearby city of Gus-Khrustalny , the ‘Crystal Goose,’ also home to a rich glass and crystal making tradition. You can visit the glassmaking factory in Gus-Khrustalny and buy gifts ranging from plates and vases to decanters, or visit the outlet store back in Moscow ( 4 Ilyinka ) just east of the Kremlin.

North of Vladimir, you’ll arrive in Suzdal, one of the Golden Ring route’s more tranquil towns. Suzdal boasts a number of small bazaars and stands outside the main tourist sites where visitors can purchase local honey mead, called medovukha, along with traditional crafts, like a pair valenki, or Russian woolen boots, which make an ideal Christmas gift for friends and family back home. The shopping stands outside Suzdal’s Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life ( Ul. Pushkarskaya ) are also highly recommended. Market Square ( Torgovaya Pl ) houses a number of shops where visitors can search for arts and crafts.

Following the Golden Ring north of Suzdal, many tours will stop in the city of Kostroma, a former trading outpost on the immense Volga River. One of the city’s highlights is the Museum of Linen and Birchbark ( 38 Tereshkova ), where visitors can view exhibits on traditional Russian crafts woven from flax and bark. A gift shop in the basement sells tablecloths, napkins, baskets, linen dolls, and traditional clothing typical of the region.

South from Kostroma, stop in the city of Rostov-Veliky for enamel jewelry, a craft which allows artists to produce small paintings on metal that are then fired to produce a thin glaze over the image. Rostov became famous for its tradition of enamel work. Today, visitors can purchase rings, earrings, bracelets, brooches, and jewelry boxes in the gift shop of the Rostov Enamel factory ( 3 Borisoglebskoye Highway ).

While you’re in Rostov, visit the House of Crafts ( 16 Vtoraya Tolstovskaya Naberezhnaya ) for local pottery and the Souvenirs shop ( 5 Ul. Kamennyi Most ) for ushanka hats—Russian fur caps with earflaps—paintings, and samovars for tea lovers.

The last two stops on a tour of the Golden Ring are the cities of Pereslavl-Zalesskiy and Sergiev Posad. Pereslavl is most famous for its embroidery work, available at the Art Salon ( 12 Ul. Sovetskaya ) along with souvenirs made of wood and stone. Nearby Sergiev Posad is considered the place where Russia’s matryoshka dolls were first invented, and was the chief production center of the dolls before Soviet times. Visit the city’s Toy Museum ( 123 Pr. Krasny Armii ) to get a better sense of the birthplace of one of Russia’s most recognizable toys, then head over to the market alongside the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius—one of the city’s most important sites—to load up on matryoshka dolls, painted eggs, and icons before going home.

If you’ll be in the Golden Ring during New Years, the city of Vladimir hosts an impressive Christmas fair, with an iceskating rink and performances by local artists, in the main square ( Sobornaya Pl ). In most other Golden Ring cities you’ll find similar events in the center square as Christmas nears.

Most shops and markets in the Golden Ring are open year round. If you’re coming to Russia for a short period of time, whether in winter or summer, consider a trip to this stunning part of the country, and bring an extra bag if you plan to go shopping for Christmas gifts.

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