I. Metshin on the new tour season: “We will prepare for the meeting of the 3 millionth tourist”

(KZN.RU, May 7). The summer tourist season starts on May 12 this year. It will be a unique one, believes Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. According to him, the Football World Cup will be a great opportunity for the city's advancement. The beginning of the new summer tourist season will be marked by the large-scale quest “Ai Da Kazan!” and the gastronomic festival “Delicious Kazan”.

“This summer tourist season will be unique. The World Cup also imposes responsibility, and it gives a great opportunity to promote the city on a completely new level”, said the Mayor of Kazan. “We are waiting for a large flow of tourists from Russia and from abroad. We already know about the interest of a large number of fans from all over the world, down to far Colombia. The chance is good, and it must be used”.

Daria Sannikova, the director of the Committee for Tourism Promotion, said that an inspection of all accommodation facilities in Kazan and an express test of staff for knowing English and hospitality basics are conducted. It is in conjunction with the State Committee for Tourism of the RT in the framework of the preparation of a new tourist season in the spring. 70% of all accommodation facilities in the city have already been inspected, including hostels. “The number of personnel with a foreign language has increased, and there has been a positive growth in the quality of services provided in the hotels of the city”, she said. During the days of matches, hotel in the historic center and close to the main tourist routes are booked for 80-90%.

D. Sannikova reported on the developed recommendations for restaurants and cafes in the city, which will improve the level of service. For example, the translation of the menu into foreign languages of those countries whose teams will play in Kazan. Many restaurant owners took these recommendations with enthusiasm.

Souvenir products, made using the identity of the city, will also appear in the souvenir shops of the city to the World Cup.

“Today we are talking about the tourism industry of the city as a formed business sector, but the level is still not high enough”, said the head of the city. “We are just entering the top of tourist cities. There is always much to strive for. It is important to generate new ideas, get acquainted with the best practices that exist in Russia”.

According to data received from Kazan hotels and hostels, the load from April 29 to April 30 was 90%, from 1 to 2 of May – 60%. The Kazan Kremlin was visited by more than 70 thousand tourists for the past May holidays, it is 1.5 times more than last year.

Ilsur Metshin drew attention to the fact that it is necessary to take into account the inevitable and unique color and peculiarity of Kazan as a multinational city, a city on the Volga, the center of science, culture, sport, and youth. “We will prepare for the meeting of the 3 millionth tourist who, we hope, will visit Kazan this autumn. We set a goal for ourselves. There is everything in order to achieve it”, marked the Mayor.

A new route of the double-decker bus of City Sightseeing company was launched on May 1 within the framework of the new tourist season in Kazan. Now the tourists can visit the Family Center “Kazan”, the Water Sports Palace and the stadium “Kazan Arena”. In May holidays, guests and residents of the capital were offered a new tourist service: photo-session on an electric three-wheeled bicycle. During the walk, guests are invited to take photos in national Tatar apparels near the Kazan Kremlin and the fountain of love in the Leninsky garden. Tourists can use this service daily until the end of the summer tourist season.

In June, it is planned to resume the excursion route “Retro-tram”, passing through the historical center of Kazan from the railway station to the River Port. Last year, the tram stopped its work due to repairs on Tatarstan Street. These works will be completed by the end of May.