Ilsur Metshin: “3.5 million tourists per year is a full-value branch of economy”

Kazan was visited by 3.5 million tourists in 2019, 230 thousand people of which were tourists from other countries. The tourism sector has become a full-value branch of economy, which has brought in the city about 80 billion rubles over the year, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin said today at a Business Monday. He emphasized that thanks to methodical work, Kazan consistently enters the top five most visited cities in Russia, and also instructed to actively develop new tourist destinations together with the Kazan agglomeration.

“We started with very poor results, and today we are among the most important tourist magnets”

Domestic tourism has a great influence on the growth of tourist flow, head of the Directorate for tourism development Daria Sannikova noted in her report. She said that among Russian tourists in 2019, Kazan was most often visited by citizens of Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Sverdlovsk region, Chelyabinsk, and cities of the Volga Federal district.

Foreign tourists came mainly from China, Kazakhstan, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus. In total, 229 373 foreign citizens visited the capital of Tatarstan, which is 9% less than in 2018.

Traditionally, the most attractive tourist sites are the Kazan Kremlin Museum Sanctuary, which was visited by more than 3 million tourists and the hotel and entertainment complex Kazan Riviera, which was visited by 867 thousand 907 people.

“We started with very poor results at the time, - said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. - Kazan is not a historical metropolis like Moscow and St. Petersburg, we do not have the sea, as Sochi. But, nevertheless, today our city consistently enters the top five most visited cities in Russia among the most important tourist magnets”.

In 2019, the share of returning tourists was 40%

On average, in 2019, one tourist in Kazan spent 22 thousand 607 rubles, D. Sannikova said. Taking into account that more than 3.5 million tourists visited the capital of Tatarstan during the year, about 80 billion rubles remained in the city.

Often, visitors who arrived in the capital of Tatarstan for the first time return to the city again – in 2019, the share of returning tourists was 40%.

“The growth of tourist flow is a very important indicator. 3.5 million tourists are already a full-value branch of economy, - said I.Metshin. – These are the results of good cooperation with the state Committee for tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan and participants of the travel services market. We need to continue this work”.

The number of tourism employees increased by almost 22%

Presently, more than 16 thousand people work in the travel service market, which is 2.6% of the number of employees in the city's economy, D. Sannikova said.

“Compared to 2018, the number of employees in the tourism sector increased by 21.8%”, - said D.Sannikova.

“These indicators are a characteristic feature of the industry's wellness. The growth of employment in the tourism sector by 22% shows stable indicators in this area”, - the Mayor commented.

We must actively search new ways to develop the industry together with the Kazan agglomeration

Kazan is constantly working on the development of new tours. Thus, last year, together with the honored historian of the Republic of Tatarstan Anatoly Yeldashev, a sightseeing tour “Arsky field: historical milestones” was developed, which also includes a tour of the Arsky cemetery.

According to D. Sannikova, the city was also working on the development of new tourist routes within the Kazan agglomeration.

“The infrastructure is developing not only in our city, new interesting sites are being opened. We must actively search new ways of development together with the Kazan agglomeration, to strengthen work in this aspect together with our neighbors – I. Metshin said. – There are many forms in the modern tourism industry, and our task is to constantly find them. We need to develop business, eco and medical tourism. We need to continue working methodically in all areas”.