On May 13, 2026, at the Congress Centre of the Almazov National Medical Research Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in Saint Petersburg, the III International Research and Practice Conference “Medical and Health Tourism as an Important Factor in the Strategy for Developing the Export of Medical Services” was held as part of the IX St. Petersburg Medical Innovation Forum. The event brought together representatives of government authorities, leading medical institutions, the scientific community, industry associations, and international experts in the field of medical and health tourism.
The conference was moderated by Elena Nikolaevna Zolotukhina, Head of the Department of PMPS and EMU of the Almazov National Medical Research Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, and Sofia Leonardovna Mozokina, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics and Management in the Service Sector at Saint Petersburg State University of Economics, President of the Association of Participants in Medical and Health Tourism.
Welcoming addresses at the conference were delivered by Alexey Evgenievich Tereshin, Deputy Chairman of the Healthcare Committee; Vladimir Leonidovich Raskovalov, Professor at the UNESCO Department of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University; and Natalia Olegovna Grigorieva, Coordinator of Medical Projects at KSI ASI and President of the Russian Public Organization “Women’s Health.”
During the conference, participants discussed current issues related to the development of medical services exports, the introduction of innovative technologies in healthcare, international cooperation, and improving the competitiveness of Russian medical organizations in the global market.
Elena Nikolaevna Zolotukhina delivered a welcoming report, presenting the topic of healthcare management, innovations, and new strategic vectors for the development of medical services exports as an ecosystem aimed at preserving health, increasing life expectancy, and improving the quality of life of the population.
Reports dedicated to international cooperation in the field of medical and health tourism attracted significant attention from participants. Representatives of China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan presented their experience in developing the sector and outlined prospects for cooperation with the Russian Federation.
The reports by specialists of the Almazov National Medical Research Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation generated particular interest. Konstantin Borisovich Abramov, Deputy Chief Physician for Neurosurgery, presented a report dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the provision of high-tech neurosurgical care, while Eduard Vladimirovich Komlichenko, Deputy Chief Physician for Oncology, spoke about the prospects for the development of the oncology service at the Almazov Centre.
As part of the scientific program, modern approaches to the treatment of congenital hyperinsulinism were also presented, along with issues of laboratory diagnostics, medical rehabilitation, disease prevention, development of the health resort and sanatorium complex, and training of personnel for the medical tourism sector.
Special attention during the conference was paid to the development of sanatorium-resort and health tourism as a strategically important area of the Russian Federation’s medical services export system.
In her report “The Sanatorium-Resort Complex as the Basis of Health Tourism in the Russian Federation,” Sofia Leonardovna Mozokina, President of the Association of Participants in Medical and Health Tourism, Candidate of Economic Sciences, and Associate Professor of the Department of Economics and Management in the Service Sector at Saint Petersburg State University of Economics, emphasized the key role of the sanatorium-resort complex in shaping the national model of health tourism. The presentation addressed current issues in the development of the sanatorium-resort sector and the integration of medical, rehabilitation, and tourism services into a unified patient support system. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to develop modern interdisciplinary approaches aimed at strengthening public health, preventing diseases, and expanding the export potential of Russian sanatorium-resort organizations.
Practical aspects of medical rehabilitation were presented by Alexander Vasilyevich Karpukhin, Executive Director of the Black River Centre for Cardiac Medicine. In his report “Features of Sanatorium-Resort Rehabilitation in Cardiology,” he reviewed modern approaches to restorative treatment for patients with cardiovascular diseases, the importance of comprehensive rehabilitation, and the role of the sanatorium-resort stage in improving patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. The report attracted considerable interest from the professional community, as cardiological rehabilitation and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases are among the priority areas of the modern healthcare system and health tourism.
Conference participants noted the high level of expert discussion, the practical significance of the reports presented, and the need to further strengthen international cooperation in the field of medical and health tourism. The conference confirmed the growing role of medical and health tourism as an important area in the development of the Russian Federation’s healthcare system and medical services exports.
