On 26 April 2007, the State Hermitage's Sector of Tourism and Special Programs held its fifth annual Round Table on "The Museum and Issues of Cultural Tourism" in the Rose Hall of the General Staff building.

The number of participants in these Round Tables has been constantly rising: among those sharing their unique experience and proposals were staff of Russian and foreign museums, managers of tourist companies, teachers of higher schools and teachers working for museums. There were guests from Moscow, Petrozavodsk, Arkhangelsk, Kazan, Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad and other Russian cities.

Museum practice has confirmed the relevance today of the topic under discussion, which becomes broader with each passing year. The agenda for meetings of the Fifth Round Table included both theoretical reports and reports from museum employees on concrete programs. Special attention was devoted to those special programs which include musical and play components..

A collection of materials from the Round Table has been published.

Deputy Director of the State Hermitage Vladimir Matveev greeting the participants of the Round Table

Participants of the Fifth Round Table on "The Museum and Issues of Cultural Tourism"

Svetlana Panina (Sverdlovsk Oblast Regional Museum) delivers a report