On October 16, 2025, as part of the XIII St. Petersburg International Health Forum 2025 (SPIEF 2025), which took place from October 15 to 17, 2025 at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Center, the II International Scientific and Practical Conference "Medical and Health Tourism: Problems and Prospects" was held.
The event brought together professionals in the field of healthcare and tourism, leading scientific and educational organizations, medical research centers, medical and sanatorium-resort organizations, associations of medical and wellness tourism in Russia and CIS countries, Wellness and SPA hotels, travel companies and agencies, representatives of government, business, and public organizations.
The conference was organized by the Association of Participants in the Field of Medical and Health Tourism, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Almazov National Medical Research Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, National Medical Research Center Intersectoral Scientific and Technical Complex Eye Microsurgery named after Academician S.N. Fedorov.”, Health Committee of St. Petersburg, Association of resorts of the North-West.
The conference was opened by the Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of St. Petersburg State University, Doctor of Economics, Professor. Gorbashko E.A., welcoming remarks were made by: I.N. Voronovich, Director of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, Director of the St. Petersburg branch of FSAU NMICISTK “Eye Microsurgery" named after Academician S.N. Fedorov” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Medicine, Professor, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Boyko E.V.
S.L.Mozokina, President of the Association of Participants in the field of Medical and Therapeutic Tourism, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics and Management in the Field of Services at St. Petersburg State University, Ph.D. in Economics, moderated the event and delivered a report on the topic "Prospects for the development of medical and therapeutic tourism."
The co-moderator and the report "Export of medical services to the Almazov National Research Medical Center" was made by E.N. Zolotukhina, Head of the PMPSiEMU Service of the Almazov National Research Medical Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
In the conference program, the Doctor of Medicine, Deputy Director for Organizational and Clinical Work of the St. Petersburg branch of FSAU NMITS, spoke about the features of Medical ophthalmological tourism, problems and development prospects.ISTK “Eye Microsurgery" named after academician S.N. Fedorov” Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Gatsu M.V.
K.B. Abramov, Deputy Chief Physician for Neurosurgery, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Doctor of the highest category, Federal State Budgetary Institution "NMIC named after V. A. Almazov" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, delivered a welcoming speech from the Almazov NMIC of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and a report on the topic "Possibilities of providing high-tech neurosurgical medical care at the Almazov Center."
A welcoming speech and a report on "Medical rehabilitation as a driver of medical tourism development in MMC Group" were delivered by P.I. Guzalov, MD, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Resorts of the North-West, Deputy Chief Physician of the Beloostrov High Technology Clinic.
The report "Prospects for the development of medical tourism in St. Petersburg: the experience of the Beloostrov Clinic" was delivered by the head of the Beloostrov High Technology Clinic Promotion Group, Graduate student of St. Petersburg State University of Tourism, Business Process Management in the Tourism Industry program, M.V. Shaidullina.
The Head of the Department of Economics and Management in the Field of Services of the St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Ph.D. in Economics, Associate Professor Voloshinova M.V. made a presentation on "Innovative approaches to personnel training for medical and health tourism".
The main trends in marketing management were announced by the founder of the Wellbeing Marketing Lab and the enterprising podcast Hospitable Stories, senior lecturer at the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Business at St. Petersburg State University Osokina V.A.
The topic of cellular technologies in the development of medical tourism was raised in his report by V.M. Kritsky, Deputy Director of the Institute of Biophysics and Cellular Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, a surgeon, a healthcare organizer, and head of the Institute's medical department.
The issues of relevance and prospects of using transplantation techniques in the framework of medical tourism at the I.P.Pavlov First Medical University were highlighted in his report by A. Polushin– PhD, Associate Professor, Head of the Scientific and Clinical Center for Transplantation and Cell Therapy in Autoimmune and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Associate Professor of the Department of Neurology, First St. Petersburg State Medical University to them. Academician I.P. Pavlov.
The directions of adapting educational programs to the new challenges of training personnel for the organization of medical and wellness tourism were considered by PhD, Associate Professor, President of the Foundation for the Development and Popularization of Professions in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Head of the Department of Tourism and Service of the Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education under the IPA EurAsEC member of the subgroup "Personnel in the tourism industry" of the State Council Commission Russian Federation in the field of "Tourism" Mudarisov R.G.
The issues of organizing training seminars on medical tourism in the CIS countries were reflected in her report by Doctor of Economics, Professor. Higher School of Tourism and Hospitality of Turan University, academician of the National Engineering Academy, full member of the Academy of Economic Sciences of Kazakhstan, Vice-President of the Medical Tourism Association of Almaty, honorary member of the Global Medical Tourism Association Kalenova S.A.
N.O. Grigorieva, Ph.D., Expert of REG ASI, St. Petersburg, Coordinator of medical projects at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, participated in the conference with a report on the Intellectual Potential of Society and Innovations in Medicine.
O. Bezzubenko, Head of the Center for External Communications of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "NMIC of Therapy and Preventive Medicine" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation; President of the National Association of Health Bloggers; head of the section for the formation and promotion of personal brands of medical specialists "Brand of the Doctor" of the Russian Society for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, spoke about the technology of exporting medical services.
Vice-Chairman of the European-Asian Association for Culture, Wu Jingcan, and Vice-President for Marketing, I.N. Osipova, presented the prospects for cooperation between Russia and China in the field of medicine.
The head of the Association of Medical and Academic Tourism, E.V. Chernyshev, presented a report on the topic "Resource opportunities of the subject of the Russian Federation for the development of the export of medical services."
The President of the Association for the Support of Medical and Thermal Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, R. Guliyev, spoke about the development of medical and thermal tourism in Azerbaijan, and the role of associations in promoting medical and wellness tourism in the CIS member countries.
Deputy Chairman of the Association of Medical Tourism of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Candidate of Medical Sciences Akhmedov A.A. presented a report on "Medical tourism in Uzbekistan: the state and prospects of cooperation with the Russian Federation."
