(KZN.RU, January 29, Ekaterina Vislavskaya). 2018 was proposed to be declared the Year of Hospitality in Kazan. “I consider it especially relevant and logical to declare 2018 in Kazan as the Year of Hospitality, taking into account the holding of World Cup matches”, said D. Sannikova, the director of the Kazan Committee of Tourism Development, on the Business Monday in the Executive Committee today. “One of the events will be the session “Kazan is Hospitable” in the framework of the international exhibition “Tourism and Sport” at the Kazan Fair. All events of the city will be held under the auspices of the Year of Hospitality”. In addition, the city is preparing to meet a three millionth tourist and it is planned to launch new excursion routes.
According to Daria Sannikova, more than 2.7 million tourists visited Kazan in 2017, which is 10% more than a year ago. Specialists of the Center of Tourism Development made a portrait of the average guest of Kazan in the last year. These are young people: 25% of tourists aged 26-35 years, 23% – 36-45 years, 22% – 46-60 years, 21% – up to 25 years, 7.5% – over 60. Holidays in Kazan are preferred by women (65% of the total number of guests). At the same time, 80% of tourists are family people who came for the purpose of vacation/leisure/recreation”. About 61% of tourists visited Kazan for the first time and 77% are ready to return.
About 130 thousand tourists visited Kazan during the New Year holidays. Some of them noted the lack of festive illumination. “We always compare Kazan as the third official capital of Russia with Moscow and St. Petersburg. If we compare with these cities, then the illumination was not presented on such a large scale, of course. Tourists noted that Kazan is very beautiful, there are many sights, cultural and sightseeing programs. But if they went somewhere in the evening, they did not have enough New Year's illumination for, perhaps, spectacular photos or even more emotions”, said D. Sannikova. “It’s hard to say how much illumination there was compared to last year but based on the feedback from the guests, I noted that we have something to work on. I think we will change this situation next year”.
Three new items await tourists in 2018. First, the new route of the double-decker bus Sightseeing tourist bus will be launched in the spring. It included the sights on the left bank of Kazanka, including the Family Center “Kazan”, the Palace of Water Sports, and the “Kazan Arena”. Secondly, the development of a tourist route to the places of stay of musician Vladimir Vysotsky in Kazan is almost finished. Thirdly, regional specialists prepare the launch of a new season direction for Kazan in the spring-summer: the necropolis tourism.
“I think this type of tourism will be popular”, noted D. Sannikova. “This will be another new direction, which will become a point of attraction in our city”. Participants of such tours will be shown the burial places of outstanding people and excursions to places related to their life and work.
This year Kazan will meet a three millionth tourist. “We plan to prepare a new event for the meeting of the three millionth tourist. Now we are waiting for confirmation of funding. So we will more accurately tell about it when there is clear understanding of the budget”, said D. Sannikova. In general, the tourist flow in 2018 is planned with an increase of 10-15%.
“We are ahead of the average statistical indicators of inbound tourism growth in Russia. Even 10% says that we are confidently developing. This is the industry and the segment where there are no trifles. We must think about this every day, remember and work in this direction”, noted Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan.
The head of the city called the forthcoming World Football Championship the best opportunity for Kazan to declare itself to the whole world once again thanks to a large stream of tourists, fans, and media.