The average length of stay of tourists in Kazan was 3.5 days at the end of 2016

(KZN.RU, February 7, Mikhail Chentsov). Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, praised the increase of the tourist flow by 16% in the last year. “The growth by 400 thousand is a very good result, but now when good-quality base laid, when the locomotive is already underway, it is important not to stop on achieved positions and hone the details”, said the Mayor, commenting on the report of Daria Sannikova, the director of the Tourism Promotion Committee of the Kazan Executive Committee on the results of 2016.

According to D. Sannikova, 2.5 million tourists visited Kazan in 2016, which is 16% more compared to 2015 (2.1 million people). Traditionally the Kazan Kremlin was one of the most attractive sites for the tourists, which was visited by 2 million 893 thousand people, which is 37% more than in 2015. The annual average load of hotels increased by 4% over the year and reached 58%, and the average length of stay of tourists in Kazan was 3.5 days. 191 hotel and hostel with 7400 rooms work in Kazan today.

In part, these results were achieved thanks to a press tour in Russian cities, the results of which have been the concluded agreement on cooperation in tourism with six cities: Ufa, Volgograd, Ulyanovsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, and Novosibirsk. Daria Sannikova noted separately the agreement with the administrations of Ulyanovsk and Yekaterinburg, in which the work on the promotion of tourist programs for students is carried out at this time.

Participation in September last year in the International Tourism Exhibition “Astana Leisure 2016”, as well as at the World Tourism Exchange in London “WTM-2016” in November, played a role in promoting Kazan as a tourism brand.

The demand for tourist services has increased. In 2016, demand for boat trips on the “third capital of Russia’ increased by 20%. D. Sannikova noted that river walks at Kazanka were organized on July 1, in addition to river trips on the lake Kaban, where residents and visitors of the Tatarstan’s capital were offered 45-minute tour in three languages: Russian, Tatar and English. “More than 100 thousand tourists and residents traveled on water bikes, boats and boats on the water expanses of the city in 2016”, noted the director of the Tourism Promotion Committee.

Annual events are gaining popularity. The “Third Kazan bicycle-night” gathered about 5000 participants last year, 10% were foreigners. 29 thousand residents and guests of the Tatarstan’s capital visited the second gastronomic festival “Delicious Kazan”. “The festival “Delicious Kazan” by the results of the National Award in the field of event tourism “Russian Event Awards” was the best event in the field of gastronomic tourism in Russia in 2016 and today it is included in the national calendar of events in the country in 2017”, marked D. Sannikova.

66 thousand people watched the light show on the walls of the Kazan Kremlin. The organizers extended the show up only in Kazan until January 2, 2017. The third Christmas fair in the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda was of a great interest for visitors as well.

The Tourism Promotion Committee focuses on the development of hospitality. 30 volunteers were trained in the basics of the English language and the history of his native land last year in the framework of the project “I help Kazan”. After training, they were giving an information support for tourist, arriving in Kazan, throughout the summer tourist season. “In the spring of this year, English language training will begin again in the framework of this program, but this time with the hospitality sector employees: waiters, head waiters and receptionists”, said D. Sannikova.