The draft law on creating favorable conditions for the development of tourism in St. Petersburg has passed the first reading

At the plenary session on June 17, 2026, deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg adopted in the first reading the draft law of St. Petersburg "On creating favorable conditions for the development of tourism in St. Petersburg in the implementation of priority tourism projects in St. Petersburg and on amending the Law of St. Petersburg "On State Support for Investment Activities in St. Petersburg- St. Petersburg".
The document was developed by the St. Petersburg Investment Committee to achieve strategic goals for the development of urban hospitality infrastructure.
The draft law establishes a mechanism for assigning the status of "priority tourism project" to those investment initiatives that meet the established criteria and requirements in the field of construction, reconstruction and operation of hotels and sanatoriums, as well as engineering and transport infrastructure for tourist facilities.
In particular, priority status will be given to projects with significant socio-economic impact and strategic importance for the development of tourism in St. Petersburg. Such an investment project should provide for the creation and subsequent operation of a tourist infrastructure facility strictly in accordance with its intended functional purpose. The implementation of the project, which claims to be a priority, does not allow for the attraction of funds from participants in shared-equity construction, as well as the sale of individual premises to private ownership for a long stay of citizens. It will also be mandatory to include the constructed facility in the state register of classified accommodation facilities, and for sanatoriums to obtain a license to provide medical services.
In order to create a tourist infrastructure of a certain level of comfort, the bill establishes a minimum unit cost for the construction of one hotel room — at least 11 million rubles. during the construction of the facility and at least 8.25 million rubles. — during the reconstruction of the building for the hotel.
The bill prevents the substitution of a hotel function for a residential one by combining preliminary requirements for the investor, his contractual obligations and financial responsibility, as well as control by the city over the fulfillment of the conditions of a priority tourist project, including private land.
At the same time, the document reduces administrative barriers and the additional financial burden on investors, allowing resources to be directed strictly to the tourism infrastructure, and creates an incentive for the development of the industry. This is achieved due to the envisaged possibility of exempting investors implementing priority tourism projects from the obligations to build social facilities in accordance with the provisions of the Rules of Land Use and Development.
In case of violation of the terms of implementation of the priority tourism project, the investor will be obliged to pay compensation to the budget of St. Petersburg, the amount of which will be determined based on the amount of benefits received by the investor upon assignment of the specified status.
Thus, the innovations are aimed at creating a favorable investment climate and attractive conditions for reliable and conscientious investors in the field of construction and modernization of tourist infrastructure.
The document will have to undergo further readings in the city parliament. After the law comes into force, securing the status of a "priority tourism project" and related benefits will be another measure of government support for business and an important step towards increasing the investment attractiveness of St. Petersburg.