NEWS

Today in the assembly hall of the Institute of Management, Economics and Finance of the Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, a proceeding of the board "On the Results of the Work of the State Committee for Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2017 and Tasks for 2018" was held with the participation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Aleksei Valeryevich Pesoshin. The Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Sergey Ivanov spoke as the main speaker. The co-speakers were: the Director General of the ANO "Tourism Development Center of the Republic of Tatarstan" Dilbar Sadykova - "On the Implementation of Special Projects of ANO "Tourism Development Center of the Republic of Tatarstan" in 2017 and plans for 2018", the manager of the hotel "Relita-Kazan", the President of the Association of hotels of Kazan and Tatarstan Gulnara Safina - "The Event as a New Driver for the Development of the Hotel Market of the Republic of Tatarstan", the director of Municipal Budget Institution of Culture "Museum of Laishevsky District named after G.R. Derzhavin" Farida Murtazina - "Development of Tourist Routes on the Example of Laishevsky Municipal District of the Republic of Tatarstan".

In his report Sergey Ivanov told about how the tourism industry in Tatarstan developed in 2017: "

"The development of tourism today is carried out in accordance with the strategy of social and economic development of the Republic of Tatarstan until 2030.

In 2017, the development of the tourism industry in the Republic of realized within the framework of the State Program "Development of Travel and Hospitality Business in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2014-2020".

In total, for the development of the tourism sector in 2017 from the regional budget, it was allocated more than 160 million rubles, which is twice as much as in 2016." - at the beginning of his speech, Sergei Ivanov said.

"Let me to thank the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan on behalf of the entire tourism industry for the comprehensive support of the tourism and hospitality sector in 2017.

Within the framework of the State Program "Development of Travel and Hospitality Business in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2014-2020", the implementation of the comprehensive program for the development of the tourist destination "Visit Tatarstan" as a priority task of 2017 has been singled out.

The "Visit Tatarstan" program is aimed at promoting the tourist opportunities of the republic in the Russian Federation and in priority foreign markets, as well as developing the tourist industry within the region with the aim of bringing it to the contemporary  world standards."

Activities within the program "Visit Tatarstan" are carried out in two blocks.

The first block is the external work.

It includes the following areas of activity:

- the promotion of tourist product of the Republic of Tatarstan;

- the international and interregional cooperation.

In 2017, the tourist opportunities of the Republic of Tatarstan are presented at 12 major international tourist exhibitions in Russia and abroad.

The State Committee organized 25 onsite presentations and road shows in Russia and 11 foreign countries for representatives of tour operators and journalists.

Presentations of tourist centers of the Republic of Tatarstan took place within the framework of the road show. The event calendar of the republic and specially developed tourist routes for each country, including offers for the period of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, are presented separately.

At the initiative of the State Committee, 37 advertising and information tours were conducted in the Republic of Tatarstan for more than 400 representatives of tour operators and journalists from Russia and from 17 foreign countries.

Tatarstan is included in the catalogue of offers of tour operators of the United States of America, Canada, Finland, Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, India, Vietnam, Austria and Germany. In the reporting year, Tatarstan was visited by the first tourists from the United Arab Emirates.

In order to popularize Tatarstan as a tourist destination in 2017, the State Committee launched 7 advertising campaigns in Russia, Finland and Germany. Presentation materials were placed on the most popular advertising media and information sources from Russian and foreign audiences." - he continued

"In 2017 new channels of promotion of tourist resources of Tatarstan were applied:

- in all Aeroexpress trains, the image-building posters "Tatarstan 1001 Pleasure" are posted in Moscow; on the screens inside the cars a video clip "Visit Tatarstan" was broadcasted;

- the video "Visit Tatarstan" was shown in theaters of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Ufa, Izhevsk before the premiere of the most box-office movies;

- in the supermarkets "Bahetle" in Moscow, buyers got acquainted with the tourist opportunities of our direction and registered for a drawing of lottery for the trip to Tatarstan.

In 2017, the content of the Republican tourist portal visit-tatarstan.com continued to be updated and expanded. The number of visits during the reporting year increased almost 14 times and amounted to an average of more than 15 thousand per month from Russia and more than 120 foreign countries.

In 2017, much attention was paid to the interaction with the mass media of Russia and foreign countries.

In total about the tourist potential and attractiveness of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2017 there were more than 3 thousand publications, on TV channels 220 plots were shown."

"In the reporting year, the State Committee carried out active activities to develop and strengthen international and interregional cooperation in the field of tourism.

The State Committee for Tourism hosted the delegations and representatives of the tourism industry from 14 foreign countries.

Within the framework of the existing bilateral agreements, the State Committee for Tourism has worked with the Czech Republic, Finland, Iran, Uzbekistan, Belarus.

In 2017 in the framework of the educational project "InTrain", Kazan was visited by the first tourist groups of Austrian students studying Russian language. They purposefully arrived to Tatarstan not only for practice of Russian language, but also for studying the culture of tolerance in the republic.

On the Russian market, sales of tours began on the interregional route "The Great Volga Way", the creation of which was initiated by the State Committee.

"The Great Volga Way" was entered into the National program for the Development of Children's tourism of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. This route will include visiting the main attractions of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Marij El. It is planned that in 2018 more than 2 000 students from all regions of Russia will travel on it.

In the reporting year, the State Committee jointly with colleagues from St. Petersburg developed an interregional route "Palaces and Mosques". The route is designed primarily for foreign tourists.

With the purpose of realization of tasks of the second block of the Program, providing internal development of destination "Visit Tatarstan", the State Committee carried out work in several main areas:

- the formation and development of tourist and recreational clusters;

- the development of tourist infrastructure and services;

- the training and professional development of staff for the sphere of tourism;

- holding the event and professional actions.

Within the framework of the Federal Target Program "Development of Domestic and Inbound Tourism in the Russian Federation (2011-2018)", the intercepting parking was built on the road "Approach to the Island-Grad Sviyazhsk" in the Zelenodolsky Municipal District."

"The State Committee carried out work on the inclusion of tourist centers of Tatarstan in the program of river cruises.

This allowed Sviyazhsk for the first time to take 82 multi-deck motor vessels in the reporting year.

In 2017 the opening of new tourist venues, which contributed to the expansion of the cultural and cognitive program for the guests of Tatarstan: the entertainment and exhibition complex "City Panorama" and the museum of Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda, new museums in Sviyazhsk and Elabuga, the second stage of the embankment in Veliky (Great) Bulgar.

In 2017, the work continued on the creation of the Fish Museum and the development of the Dolgan Polyana estate complex in the Tetyush District, and the infrastructure in Almetyevsk is also actively developing. A good example is the beginning of work on the development of the concept of tourism development in Nizhnekamsk and Kamsky-Ustinsky district. In both cases, this work is conducted with the involvement of local residents and interested business representatives.

In 2018, it is planned to create a system of tourist navigation in Elabuga and installation of additional navigation elements in Kazan.

In 2018, work will be continued to improve the infrastructure of tourist routes in the municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Development of tourist infrastructure allows to create new non-standard tourist routes.

One of the world trends in tourism development, the  experts call emotions – about 60 percent of tourists are willing to spend money on new impressions.

In 2017 the State Committee developed and presented the brand route "Tatarstan: 1001 Pleasures". The leading companies and experts of the republic participated in the development of the route in the field of domestic tourism, the results of research on the wishes and preferences of the guests of the Republic of Tatarstan were considered.

Special route "Tatarstan: 1001 Pleasures" is the new standards of hospitality and guest care in accordance with the values of "Visit Tatarstan" brand: attention, abundance, emotions. The task for the route is not just to show interesting venues of Tatarstan, but to focus on new emotions, experience of the traveler, taste sensations.

The special category of tourist infrastructure is represented by the venues of sanatorium-resort complex of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In the first half of the year there was a decline in the number of holidaymakers in health centers of Tatarstan. To overcome this negative tendency, the State Committee together with the Republican Association of Sanatoriums and Resorts "Sanatoriums of Tatarstan" and the Republican Agency for Press and Mass Communications "Tatmedia", the work was strengthened  on promoting the sanatoriums of the republic.

Within the framework of the "Rest in Tatarstan" campaign, press tours for journalists of the republican mass media are organized in our sanatoriums. Sanatoriums of the republic took part in major tourist exhibitions. Together with the Medical Workers Association of Tatarstan Republic, 5 training webinars for representatives of sanatorium-resort and medical institutions were conducted.

An online booking system for "Sanata" tours has been established and implemented. At the moment the service aggregates offers of 14 republican health centers. Most sanatoriums in the past never had such a contemporary service.

Work on the development of the sanatorium-resort complex is being carried out in close cooperation with the company Tatneft and the Federation of Trade Unions of Tatarstan.

In the reporting year, the State Committee paid much attention to the training of professional staff for the tourism and hospitality sector of the Republic of Tatarstan.

On the initiative of the State Committee for Tourism, from May 15 to May 17, 2017, on the basis of the Higher School of State and Municipal Administration of the KFU, the advanced training program was held for the third time for specialists engaged in tourism development in the municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan. 30 specialists from 20 municipalities of the Republic have been trained in the program. In 2018, the continuation of this educational program is planned.

In 2017, more than 150 our specialists - the representatives of tourist organizations, hotels and restaurants, teachers of educational institutions, national parks, guides and guides-interpreters - were trained within the program "National System of Training and Professional Development of Tourism Industry Specialists". The training is organized jointly with the Federal Agency for Tourism.

In 2017, the State Committee together with the Institute of International Relations, History and Oriental Studies of the KFU organized training courses for the guides-interpreters in five linguistic areas: Farsi, Chinese, German, French, Arabic. The total number of persons trained was 50. In total, 150 specialists in foreign languages have been trained in the last three years.

In order to improve the quality of excursion services, the State Committee together with the Guild of Tour Guides of the Republic of Tatarstan organized a study for 120 tour guides of the republic from 12 to 14 December 2017.

In the reporting year the work of the Association of Hotels of the Republic of Tatarstan and specialized educational institutions in the field of tourism on the passage of students' practice on the basis of the leading hotels of the republic have been systematized. As a result, nine universities have received practice bases in hotels of Tatarstan, and hotel enterprises - the personnel reserve.

Students took an active part in creation of hospitable environment for tourists of the Republic of Tatarstan.

From May 1 to August 31, 2017, the Assembly of Tourist Volunteers of the Republic of Tatarstan with the support of the State Committee for Tourism implemented the annual project "Hospitable Kazan". On the busiest streets of the capital of Tatarstan, the  volunteers provided all the necessary information about the city, its attractions and services for tourists to Russian and foreign guests. Over a hundred thousand people appealed to the volunteers during the project implementation.

During 2017, the State Committee for Tourism conducted active work on preparation of contestants for the Fifth National Championship WorldSkills Russia. In the final of the championship the second place in the competence of "Hotel Administration" was taken by Shakirova Adel, a student of the International College of Service, the third place in the competence of "Tourism" - Igor Guryanov and Irina Pudikova, students of Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov.

In 2017, the WorldSkills Russia Union, with the support of the State Committee, accredited the following specialized competence centers: Kazan Trade and Economic College in the competence of "Restaurant Service", International College of Service for Competences "Hotel Administration", "Confectionery", "Cook Business", Professional College № 41 for the competence of "Hairdressing".

In the reporting year the State Committee held professional events in the sphere of tourism.

On October 25-27, the second professional exhibition of restaurant and hotel business HORECA was held in Kazan.

On November 2-3, the Fourth International Tourist Forum "Guidelines for the Future" was held with the support of the Federal Agency for Tourism.

The main topic of the 2017 Forum is "Integrated Management of Tourist Territories". More than a thousand two hundred people from thirty-five regions of the Russian Federation, twenty-six speakers from seven foreign countries took part in the forum.

Every year the republican competition for schoolchildren, students and working youth "Journey to The Roots" goes to a qualitatively new level. In 2017, the contest accepted one hundred and sixty works from twenty-seven municipalities of the republic, more than one hundred and fifty educational institutions of Tatarstan took part.

The annual final event for the tourism sector of the Republic of Tatarstan is the republican contest "The Leader of Tourism". Twenty-three representatives of the tourist industry of Tatarstan in the reporting year became leaders in their directions.

The calendar of tourist events of the republic was remembered in 2017 by bright events:

•    All-Russian Spassky Fair in Elabuga in 2017 was visited by a record number of people - one hundred and eighty-two thousand.

•    The festival of the medieval battle "The Great Bolgar", which in 2017 gathered forty-seven thousand spectators, gained international status, becoming the largest festival of medieval battle in Russia.

•    Gastronomic festival "Sviyazhskaya Uha" gathered more than three and a half thousand guests.

•    Theater seasons in Sviyazhsk were attended by more than a half thousand people.

Undoubtedly, other events, such as the festival of creative sleigh "Sunny Fest" in Mamadyshsky District, the egg festival "Skorlupino" in Pestrechinsky District, the All-Russian festival of Russian folklore "Karavon" in Laishevsky District, the Festival of bell ringing "Alekseevsky Chimes" in Alekseevsky District, Fisherman's Day in Tetyush District.

We are always ready to support new events in the territory of Tatarstan and we are waiting for creative ideas from the municipalities of the Republic.

The most striking event of 2017 was the FIFA Confederations Cup.

At the stadium "Kazan Arena" in the official press center of the FIFA Confederations Cup in Kazan and in the Press Center for non-accredited journalists in the CEC "Pyramid", there are exhibition booths of the Republic of Tatarstan, which represent the tourist potential of the republic.

During the FIFA Confederations Cup in specialized tents, the information support of the city visitors was provided by the tourist volunteers who speak foreign languages. To this event a guide to Tatarstan "1001 Pleasures" was released, tourist maps of the Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan, the Great Bolgar, the island-city of Sviyazhsk, Elabuga, Chistopol and Tetyushi in Russian, Tatar, English, German, Spanish and Chinese. According to the results of the FIFA Confederations Cup, the attendance of our tour centers increased by 25 per cent on average.

In pursuance of the Federal Law "On the Preparation and Holding in the Russian Federation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup", the State Committee together with the municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan carried out work on the classification of collective accommodation facilities.

At the end of 2017, all collective means of accommodation are classified in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Currently in Tatarstan, as well as throughout Russia, there is a tendency of active delivery of private apartments and apartments for rent to tourists. Only in Kazan such venues are about a thousand. The cost of accommodation in them for the period of the FIFA World Cup is stratospheric.

However, the media regularly reports of fabulous prices for accommodation in Kazan during the FIFA World Cup. I would like to note that the prices in the classified hotels of the Republic are formed in accordance with the Regulation of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 10, 2016 No. 89 "On the State Regulation of the Cost of Hotel Services on Territories of the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation, Which Will Be Held Sports Competitions of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Private flats and apartments are not related to the classified hotel rooms.

We hope that the problem of increasing prices in private apartments will arouse interest of the inspection bodies and the Federal Tax Service in the Republic of Tatarstan, because this sphere can become a good source of income for the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Thanks to the joint actions of the entire tourist community aimed at implementing the integrated Program for the Development of the Tourist Destination "Visit Tatarstan", in the reporting year the tourism industry showed positive dynamics in terms of key indicators.

In 2017, the tourist flow to the Republic of Tatarstan amounted to 3.1 million people, which is 7 percent more than in 2016. The flow of foreign tourists amounted to 278 thousand people. The largest increase in the number of tourists is from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, India, the United States of America.

The volume of services provided in the tourism sector, without taking into account the related industries, is forecasted at the level of 13.1 billion rubles in 2017, considering the related industries (food, transportation, purchase costs) - 20.7 billion rubles, which is almost 12 percent more than the indicator of 2016.

In 2017, the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan received from the tourism sector, considering the multiplier effect, 4.4 billion rubles as the tax liabilities.

In 2018, the tourist industry of Tatarstan will have an active work. The coming year puts the new tasks for the State Committee for Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The First One. Ensuring that the 2018 FIFA World Cup is held at a high organizational level in terms of attracting tourists, creating comfortable conditions for their stay and providing quality services at the tourist infrastructure facilities of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Second One. Implementation of the program of development of tourist destination "Visit Tatarstan".

The main goal here is to promote actively Tatarstan in the Russian and international markets, attract investors for the implementation of investment projects for tourist and recreational clusters, organize and promote events for tourists, create a system of tourist navigation in the Republic of Tatarstan, etc.

The Third One. Creation of new republican tourist products.

Today there are a lot of offers for tourists in the tourist market of Tatarstan. However, basically all programs of tours are built on cultural and cognitive routes and are similar to each other, differing often only with names.

In 2018 there should be routes connected with active kinds of rest, based on reception of experience of local inhabitants, on our traditions and natural resources.

The Fourth One. Development of tourist infrastructure in the municipal areas of the Republic of Tatarstan. This task involves the development of information space, improvement of tourist routes, training of specialists in the field of tourism, etc.

The Fifth One. Introduction of information digital technologies in the sphere of tourism.

Today in the tourism industry we have to use Internet technologies, technologies of virtual and augmented reality.

With the development of tourism, the prospect of increasing the welfare of the residents of the Republic of Tatarstan, the number of jobs, tax deductions grows.

We must not only hold the leading position within Russia, but also be competitive in the world tourist market.

Our task is to ensure the annual rate of growth in all indicators of the development of the tourism sector at a level higher than the national average.

It is in our power to make sure that every tourist coming to the republic wants to return here again, to bring his/her children and friends, to tell the world about the wealth, beauty and liberality of the Tatarstan land."

 

At the last meeting the Director General of the ANO "Tourism Development Center of the Republic of Tatarstan" Dilbar Sadykova told about the implementation of special projects of the Tourism Development Center of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2017 and plans for 2018: " In 2017, the Tourism Development Center of the Republic of Tatarstan implemented more than 30 projects aimed at development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the country, as well as promotion of a local tourist product in promising markets.

In 2017, most of the work is devoted to the implementation of the "Program for the Development of the VT Brand Tour Destination" and the achievement of brand performance indicators: from nontypical promotions and advertising companies, work on information resources for tourists, creation of a new route, start for the accreditation of the brand, work with the souvenir market to the holding the international forum Guidelines for the Future.

The TDC as the organization, following the trends and new directions of development in territorial branding, gives serious attention to analytics in tourism, monitoring of the hotel market.

Such a project as the Portrait of a Tourist allows you to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of tourists, as well as to identify the channels for obtaining information about the republic and resources that influence the decision making and in the future helps us to form a communication strategy for the promotion of the tourism product of the Republic of Tatarstan and understand the target audience.

Let me share the changes that happened in 2017. We see that the share of individual tourists is growing (who travels with friends or family), which means there is a demand for a personal approach in the provision of services and selection of routes.

Among the main trends in 2017, one can note a decrease in the cost of tourists for accommodation, in connection with this, the number of tourists who stay on rented apartments has increased by 10%.
Most often, tourists travel by train. Tourists are mostly family people, most often traveling without children, and their purpose of the trip is "vacation/rest/leisure", most of the travelers came to Tatarstan for the first time for 2-3 days and ready to return to the republic again.

The study shows that the younger the tourist - the shorter his/her visit, and tourists aged 35 years and older come for a longer period. This is confirmed by the world trend - the youth began to travel more often, but the duration of stay in one place became shorter.

Today before the board we also conducted a survey among you. Each of us also happens to be a tourist, so here the survey showed the identical tendencies. Among those who will recommend Tatarstan to visit for others is 94%, with the number of satisfied guests steadily growing (in 2015 this figure was 88%, in 2016 - 90%), the especially high indicator is in spring and summer. When planning a trip, 80% of respondents use Internet sites, growth is fixed by 11% compared to 2016, and according to the survey, 32% of the respondents consult with friends and relatives.

It is important that when choosing a rest on the domestic market, tourists in 2017 more actively used the sources about the rest in Tatarstan on Internet portals and in social network services, which indicates the active work of Tatarstan in the Internet and the presence in the information field at a sufficiently high level.

The study of arriving tourists for the New Year holidays in the period from 30.12.2017 to 08.01.2018 showed that the number of tourists arriving in the Republic of Tatarstan by private car has increased. (from 9.4% to 22.8%). There is also a pattern: the older the tourists, the higher the estimate of the satisfaction of their stay. Men spent more money while staying in Tatarstan than women. (Expenses of men made 26,188.89 rubles, expenses of women – 23,188.54 rubles)

In 2017, within the FIFA Confederations Cup, the TDC compiled the Portrait of a fan for the first time. The fan who visited Kazan in the matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017, is mostly a man aged from 26 to 35, who flew to the capital by plane or arrived by train (69.5 %) with a group of several or more people (83.3 %) and stayed at the hotel (38.4%) for 2-3 days (51.3%), slightly less than respondents (24.7%) stayed in the republic for almost a week. Besides Kazan, the fans during their stay in Tatarstan visited the island-city Sviyazhsk, Bolgar, Raifsky monastery.

The absolute majority of the fans surveyed were satisfied with their trip to Kazan and Tatarstan, are ready to return to the republic again and will recommend our region to visit to their friends and relatives. These indicators confirm that Tatarstan for fans both from other cities of Russia and foreign visitors, has left pleasant impressions about travel to region, a lot of respondents already have planned the next trip.

Besides, the fans were asked to evaluate the work of the infrastructure categories of Kazan on the 10-point scale (1-very bad, 10-very good). Thus, the level of service in the means of accommodation of Kazan was on average estimated at 8.47 points, work of the transport system at 8.20 points, establishments of public catering (restaurants, cafes) at 8.77 points, and comfortable environment of the capital of Tatarstan at 8.38 points.

Feedback received from the fans was analyzed. According to the results of the survey, the question "What can be improved for the FIFA World Cup?", the list of popular issues was:

- the organization of fan-zone with the ability to view the matches.

- the information materials about the transport system: the fans noted the lack of information about the schedule/routes/bus stops. Some even offered to supplement the underground to Kazan-Arena.

- providing access to communal toilets in tourist places. So a tourist does not always quickly find public restrooms, there is a world practice, when the places of public catering allow guests to the restrooms of their establishment completely free of charge. This practice we propose to introduce for the period of the FIFA World Cup 2018. - the increase of the level of knowledge of foreign languages (mainly English) in the service of tourists, as well as an increase in the number of symbols and signs in the city, museums and tourist centers in English.

According to the received indicators, based on the results of surveys within the framework of the projects "Portrait of a Tourist" and "Portrait of a Fan" we form our strategy for promotion in social network services (Vkontakte, instagram, facebook), for each of the social network services we prepare our unique content that meets the ideology Visit Tatarstan. The VT accounts regularly display the interesting facts about the cities of Tatarstan, tourist places and compilations for visiting by the travelers, interesting contests and surveys that allow you to keep the visitor and answer their requests.

In 2017, the monitoring was conducted in the direction of ORM (Operating Reputation Management in the Internet space), so over the last year on various Internet resources there were more than 92 thousand refs about Tatarstan, of which slightly less than 2 thousand are negative, the rest ones - the positive or neutral ones. We have tracked every ref, which concerns tourist venues, hotels and places of rest, according to negative comments we carried out corresponding work on elimination of their reasons causing dissatisfaction of visitors of the republic directly with venues, the measures taken are up to the users. Negative comments of a general nature (for example, it was bad weather) were worked out by the spreads of positive comments (And I like Kazan in any weather), thus forming a general positive background on the Internet and a tourist quality system aimed at forming a reputation for Tatarstan as a comfortable region for the rest.

In the hall there is an exhibition of the VT souvenir products, the development of a product range, design and conformity to its brand - this is a separate direction that the TDC conducts with the support of the SC. Behind the VT brand, there is not only the visual range, but the rethinking of the tourist product, the transfer of the lifestyle of the local population, the high level of services and the most important thing is the sensations of pleasure and satisfaction!

In 2017, a lot of work was carried out to study the available souvenir base in Tatarstan, the design and presentation of souvenir products according to contemporary trends were worked out, the first sales places were determined, the first catalogue of souvenir products presented in several directions was prepared.  Today the VT has a registered trademark. Refs from city residents and tourists have shown that the VT products are in great demand, they like and are unique!

It is important that products appear in trade centers, were used by our ministries and institutions as presentation materials. For our part, in 2018 we will continue popularization of the VT souvenirs among the residents of the republic and guests, we will expand the range and conduct appropriate negotiations on localization of production in Tatarstan.

In connection with the gained experience and the accomplished tasks of 2017, in 2018 we will continue the chosen course. Thus, the activity on monitoring the quality system showed the need to organize and conduct the educational module "Hospitality. Reboot", which became the traditional eve of major sporting events and held in 2013 and 2015. Participants of the module will be representatives of hotels, restaurants, museums, security services, it is planned to cover about 5 thousand people. Within the framework of the training, it is planned to improve the skills of business communication, to study cultural and national peculiarities of communication with foreigners, management of expectations, contemporary methods of promotion for tourist products. The training will be held in the format of master classes from the leading trainers of the hospitality industry, each listener will be given the  educational benefit.

Also in 2018, in our plans, there is the launch of the "Visit Tatarstan Educational Academy" project aimed at immersing the main players in the tourism brand.

The course, which includes lectures and master classes for representatives of hotels, restaurants, tour operators, souvenir production and stores, museums, entertainment facilities and guides, will allow to develop and implement a unified quality system, explore new marketing opportunities for the industry, increase the attractiveness of services for tourists and to form new approaches to their promotion.

Hotels and restaurants, representatives of which will be trained, will get the statute accredited by the brand Visit Tatarstan places and enter the recommended routes to tourists. Thus, the project will increase loyalty to the brand and involve not only the staff, but also the infrastructure and related services in the process. "

 

The manager of the hotel "Relita-Kazan", the President of the Association of hotels of Kazan and Tatarstan made a presentation "Events as a Driver of the Hotel Market": in January 2017 at the general meeting of hotels of the Republic of Tatarstan it was decided to create the Association of hotels of Kazan and Tatarstan. This was one of the most important events for our hotel industry. Today the Association includes 60 hotels in the republic from the cities of Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny and Elabuga.

The Association of hotels is a professional association of hotels created to protect the interests of hoteliers and provide assistance in basic professional issues.

There are a lot of tasks for the Association of hotels, especially I would like to highlight the main ones:

1. Creation of an open platform of interaction and cooperation and exchange of experience of the hotel industry with the authorities, with specialized educational institutions, tour operators, with large Russian hotel communities (Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, RGA, etc.) and so forth.
2. Creation of a unified system of hotel informing about laws, upcoming events, professional actions and interests.
3. Assistance to the members of the AH in carrying out professional activity, protection of interests of hospitality industry enterprises.

During the short period of the existence of the Association of hotels, the following has been held:

1. The cycle of meetings "Business and Authority: Frank Talk" on the subject of hotel checks;
2. The Extended Session on Hotel Security in July 2017;
3. Speech at the Council on Entrepreneurship under the President of the RT in January 2018;
4. Interaction with the following state authorities is established: The Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan for the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Rosgvardiya, Rospotrebnadzor and others.
5. The memo on registration of foreign citizens was compiled jointly with the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan for the Russian Federation; the methodical instructions for the preparation of hotels on safety standards - with the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
6. The issue of providing parking for tourist buses from hotels in the city center has been solved

Also, there are still open issues of hotels that need to be solved:

1. prohibition of placing the roof signs of hotels in the center on the territory of the Security Zone Project "Ensemble of the Kazan Kremlin"
2. reduction (according to Moscow's experience) of the tax rate on real estate property and land tax rate, calculated now from the cadastral value
3. reduction of the tax rate on movable property of hotels

The volume of the key count as of January 1, 2018 was:

• collective accommodation facilities of 17,528 beds in Kazan,
• collective accommodation facilities of more than 38,000 beds in the Republic of Tatarstan.

According to the statistics provided by the Tourism Development Center of the RT, the average load of hotels in the city of Kazan increased slightly compared to 2016 with an indicator of 55% and reached the value of 56%. The dynamics of indicators for the average load of hotels in 2017 was ambiguous and in its majority was stated under the sign of decline in comparison with the indicators of 2016. The unpleasant surprise was the decline in the load indicators in April (-6%) and May (-4%) compared to 2016 - precisely in those months, which invariably were a period of high load. Also the decline was in August (-3%), September (-1%) and October (-3%). The growth in comparison with 2016 was recorded in February (+2%) and March (+6%), June (+5%), July (+3%) and December (+4%).

Hotel indicators such as the Average Daily Rate (ADR) and the Revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2017 have risen and have shown positive dynamics.

Thus, despite the decline in load in most months of 2017 relative to 2016 (except June, July, November and December), the growth of tariffs since the beginning of the year and the holding of the FIFA Confederations Cup in June, and as a consequence, the rise in Average Daily Rate and Revenue per available room allowed the hotels to achieve positive dynamics in comparison with 2016 and to increase annual figures on revenue and profitability.

For comparison data on load of Moscow and St. Petersburg:

So, according to the analytical agency "Cushman & Wakefield", "... for the first half of 2017 (January to August), the load indicators of Moscow do not show the convincing growth - neither in volumes, nor in tariffs, except for the FIFA Confederations Cup".

According to Hotel Advisors, hotels in St. Petersburg "... according to the results of 3 quarters (January-September) in 2017 showed a significant decline in the load and only the increase in prices allowed them to increase their profitability indicators".

Analyzing the load schedule for Kazan in 2017, we see that the peak of the load falls on the months and days of major events. The growth of the indicators in comparison with 2016 was fixed:

• in March (+6%) – children's festivals and vacations;
• in June (+5%) – the holding the FIFA Confederations Cup;
• in July (+3%) - the beach games competitions, Red bull air race,  International Conference MINEPS VI, Sabantuy, Summer Campus of the Presidential Academy, TNA fights and other events;
• in November (+4%) - the holding of children's vacations and holidays, sports competitions of the Swimming Championship and Swimming Cup;
• in December (+4%) - the celebration of the New Year holidays.

If we remember 2010 and 2011, such a growth was brought by such large-scale events and actions as the rock festival "Creation of the World", the tour of the Cirque du Soleil and the concert of Elton John in 2013.

As we see any show, ceremony, concert, various theatrical performances, festivals, also holding major sporting events or holding business international symposiums, conferences, seminars can be an excellent source for growth in the load and revenue of infrastructure venues: during the huge events, hotels, restaurants and shops selling souvenirs and other thematic attributes are also earning.

As examples of the world practice of using events to attract attention to the city and the country, one can mention:

 

1. the Carnival of Brazil and the Carnival of Venice
2. the Flower Parade in Amsterdam in September
3. the Moldova wine festival
4. the Oktoberfest in Germany
5. Fashion shows in Paris and Milan
6. Montreux Jazz Festival
7. Salzburg Music Festival
8. Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi

How much it is interesting and profitable can be judged by the example of the large-scale Munich annual beer festival Oktoberfest. It lasts 2 weeks. Beer there really flows like water: for each festival its guests drink about six million litres of this beverage. According to statistics, at this time the city takes about six million tourists and the turnover of financial resources at the holiday is about 450 million euros.

All of the above mentioned proves that event tourism is a powerful driver for the hotel industry and the entire tourism industry as a whole. It is able to attract big money into the economy of the region and increase the load of hotels, restaurants in the period of traditionally low season."

 

The sphere of tourism in recent years has become one of the priority and dynamically developing branches of the economy of Tatarstan. This was announced today by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Aleksei Pesoshin at the proceeding of the Final Board of the State Committee on Tourism of RT, dedicated to the results of the authority in 2017. 

Aleksei Pesoshin in his speech stressed that the development of infrastructure, holding the major international events and the positive investment climate allowed Tatarstan to become one of the leaders in the development of tourism in Russia. Thus, in the reporting year more than 3 million tourists visited Tatarstan.

"Today, the Republic and its capital Kazan has something to see, where to rest. Specific activities for the development of tourism are included in the state program "Development of Tourism and Hospitality in the Republic of Tatarstan for 2014-2020," - the Prime Minister of RT said. - This year, in addition to the traditional venues, industrial enterprises of the Republic, as well as villages and hamlets with unique cultural and ethnic potential, have become available for tourists."  

Two historical holy sites - the ancient city of Bolgar and the island-city of Sviyazhsk - are popular in the guests of the republic. Today, each of them is visited by half a million tourists.

The tourist map of Tatarstan consists of a lot of tourist centers. According to the Chairman of the Government of RT, good performance is demonstrated by Elabuga, Chistopol, Tetyushi. Last year, the Republic of Tatarstan and its attractions were repeatedly recognized by the leaders of many Russian and international tourism development ratings.

Speaking about the quality and level of service at tourist venues, Aleksei Pesoshin called to remember that the number of foreign tourists is constantly growing. In 2017, there were about 280 thousand of them. "In this regard, we must take care of compliance with international standards at all venues of the tourist industry. The impression of our region depends on the level of hospitality that the guests see in our republic. In this direction, the work should be organized constantly", – the Chairman of the Government of RT said.

Aleksei Pesoshin stressed that tourism venues should be accessible and convenient for tourists. It concerns transport hubs, museums, hotels, restaurants, the information on venues in foreign languages, the staff with knowledge of foreign languages and corresponding level of service of foreign visitors is necessary. Besides, it is necessary to create a system of tourist navigation, understandable for any tourist, which is especially important in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup – 2018.

"When making management decisions at the tourist venues we must understand that they should be oriented towards tourists. This applies to the standards and working time pattern of museum venues, theatres, sports venues, cafes and restaurants", - the Prime Minister of RT said.

Aleksei Pesoshin called for special attention to the development of the domestic tourist flow: "It is the ecotourism, rural tourism, and event tourism. A special role in the promotion of domestic tourism belongs to the media and, first of all, the possibilities of the Internet resource".

Great potential in attraction of tourists can be revealed in work with the ethnic and cultural autonomies of the Tatars and Tatar diasporas in the regions of the Russian Federation and outside of the country, the Prime Minister of RT considers. The important component in this direction is the organization of presentations of tourist opportunities of Tatarstan in various subjects of Russia and countries of the distant and near abroad, where the Tatars live.

It should be noted that the development of domestic tourism is one of the strategic initiatives of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Russia, the Federal Target Program on the Development of Domestic and Inbound Tourism, designed for 2011-2018, is realized. Within its framework, under the conditions of public-private partnership in the regions of Russia the contemporary infrastructure is created. The Russian President notes that the potential of domestic Russian tourism is enormous, and it is necessary to continue active work in terms of infrastructure development. "Tatarstan has grown strongly in terms of domestic tourism. We have a large territory, and it cannot be uninteresting. There is a program for the development of domestic tourism, we will continue it. Domestic tourism is inexhaustible, it is simply unlimited. It is necessary only to create conditions, it is necessary, that people could reach comfortably and could spend time there", - the Russian leader added.

RT President press service