The Unified Concept for the Development of Youth Tourism in Russia will be presented in 2026.

      A meeting of the Expert Council of the Rosmolodyozh program "More than a Journey" was held in the Federation Council, implemented as part of the national project "Youth and Children." Participants of the meeting and members of the Expert Council identified ways to form a unified Concept for the development of youth tourism until 2035. This will serve as a basis for further scaling of youth travel across the country, expanding the geography of routes, and strengthening inter-agency cooperation. The draft Concept is expected to be presented by November 1, 2026.

      The meeting took place in an open format chaired by Alexander Varfolomeev, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, and with the participation of Oleg Makarov, advisor to the head of Rosmolodyozh. The meeting was also attended by Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

      "The program 'More than a Journey' is not just a mechanism for organizing trips for youth, but a significant tool of state youth policy that combines educational, enlightening, and socially useful formats. Today's meeting of the Expert Council is dedicated to the results and plans of the program, as well as issues related to its further scaling. We are talking about inter-agency cooperation and the formation of a systematic approach to the development of youth tourism in Russia. An important topic is the formation of a unified Concept for the development of youth tourism until 2035. In this regard, proposals have already been prepared that can serve as a basis for further discussion and refinement. Our meeting will help lay the foundation for the long-awaited Concept through comprehensive elaboration and substantive dialogue," said Alexander Varfolomeev, chairman of the Expert Council of the Rosmolodyozh program "More than a Journey."

      The head of the Council noted that Hero of Russia and participant in the special military operation Baldaan Tsydypov was present at the meeting. He currently heads the department for patriotic work in the Russian Society "Knowledge" and is actively engaged in public activities. During the discussion, Alexander Varfolomeev suggested dedicating one of the topics of the next meeting to discussing how the program "More than a Journey" helps participants of the special military operation and their families. He emphasized that this issue deserves special attention and detailed consideration.

      Experts, in preparing the draft Concept, discussed creating a systematic approach to the development of youth tourism that would integrate issues of youth policy, education, tourism, patriotic education, and regional development into a single strategic framework. Special attention was paid to developing unified standards of quality, content, and accessibility of travel for youth across Russia.

      "Thanks to the program 'More than a Journey,' over 320,000 participants from all corners of the country have already made educational trips. During these journeys, young people and their families discover the unique features of their homeland, immerse themselves in the rich history and diverse culture of Russia. Such trips contribute to the formation of an active life position and help to personally confirm that Russia is a country of immense opportunities and prospects. The program also emphasizes family tourism, and our task is to show that the journeys of entire generations are a fundamental value and strategic priority for our country," noted Oleg Makarov, advisor to the head of Rosmolodyozh.

      As he emphasized, the unified concept will not only systematize existing practices but also set clear vectors for development for the next decade. It will help transition from disparate projects to a systematic model, ensure the integration of tourism, education, and patriotic education, provide regions with guidelines on infrastructure and management, and unify standards of quality and safety for routes. The unified Concept will serve as a tool for transitioning to a full-fledged inter-agency system, synchronize efforts from different sectors, expand the geography of youth trips, and make youth tourism a real resource for the education and development of the country's territories.

      The General Director of the ANO "More than a Journey," Olesya Teterina, spoke about the results of the implementation of the program "More than a Journey" last year and plans for 2026, and also thanked all participants of the Expert Council meeting for their involvement.

      "In 2025, our program confirmed its effectiveness as a tool of state youth policy, and in 2026 we are transitioning to a new model of implementation. Now 'More than a Journey' is developing as a system for forming a culture of travel across Russia for youth for the purposes of civic-patriotic education and the transmission of traditional spiritual and moral values. The program places a special emphasis on popularizing patriotic travel as part of the lifestyle of the modern young citizen. Through tourism festivals, the 'Time for Discoveries' campaign, integration into camp shifts, and the formation of tourist spaces in regions, we are involving more and more people in hiking activities. At the same time, we are forming a unified system of methodological, resource, and informational support for such initiatives. The program itself is becoming more multi-level, and the implementation indicators are expanding: in the sixth season, the program will reach up to 300,000 people," noted Olesya Teterina, General Director of the ANO "More than a Journey."

      During the meeting, several important decisions were made, including the development by Rosmolodyozh, together with the program "More than a Journey," of a project for a unified Concept for the development of youth tourism until 2035, taking into account the comments and proposals received during the meeting. The project is expected to be presented to the Expert Council by November 1, 2026.

      Additionally, "More than a Journey," together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, will work on developing formats for systematic interaction on youth tourism development issues. Thanks to inter-agency cooperation, it is planned to analyze the quality of the service component of youth trips, including approaches to organizing routes, accommodation, transportation support, and travel infrastructure.

      "Traveling across one's homeland is the most effective and powerful tool for patriotic education. During such trips, schoolchildren and students can touch places of significant historical events and feel the spirit of different eras. It is the development of patriotic tourism that contributes to strengthening civic identity. If we talk about scaling the program 'More than a Journey,' it is important to continue training professional personnel – tour guides who will tell about travels, interesting routes, and the program. The national tourist portal 'Traveling.rf' can also be used to promote tourist routes for youth," concluded Anna Treshcheva, Deputy Director of the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

      The Expert Council is a collegial body that provides consulting support to the program and facilitates the integration of the Standard of Civic-Patriotic and Socially Useful Youth Tourism "More than a Journey" into projects in the field of youth tourism. Its work focuses on the priority areas of program development: results of implementation and plans for the next period, issues of inter-agency cooperation, partnership mechanisms, development of personnel and educational frameworks, as well as strategic initiatives related to expanding opportunities for youth to travel across Russia.

      Thus, the Expert Council serves not only as a platform for discussing the current results of the program but also as an important mechanism for developing solutions for its further development, including strategic issues that are significant for the entire youth tourism system in the Russian Federation.

      The Expert Council of the Rosmolodyozh program "More than a Journey" includes representatives of federal and regional executive authorities, public organizations, and professional associations in the field of tourism, youth policy, and related industries, including from the Association Dobro.RF, ANO "Agency for Strategic Initiatives for Promoting New Projects," JSC "Corporation Tourism.RF," ANO "National Priorities," ANO "Creative Economy," the All-Russian Society "Russian Geographical Society," and others. The next meeting of the Expert Council is planned to be held in September 2026. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information.