Oksana Sargina, General Director of ANO "Center for Tourism Development of the Republic of Tatarstan" and Anton Zenkov, coordinator of the tourist route "Tatarstan: 1001 Pleasure", told our correspondent in detail about the new tourism product of the Republic of Tatarstan at the tourism exhibition MITT 2017.
Oksana, what ways do you see for the further development of the tourism industry in the Republic of Tatarstan?
We have moved away from the standard approaches to promote some event or some object, we want to attract tourists to Tatarstan with a new, special product. And we have chosen the concept "Tatarstan - 1001 pleasure". The main idea of the branded tourist product is pleasure in food and gastronomy, in history, in aesthetics and architecture. This implies an internal deep work with all accommodation and catering facilities, museums and tour operators to adopt the brand ideology. Everything so that the tourist who paid for this route comes and really feels these pleasures on the spot, learns from the inside our historical traditions and culture.
Oksana, what is the brand idea?
The visual style of the brand is bright, with beautiful colors, attracts attention, but besides that, it contains historical ornaments. We give our guests "rahed lanep", which means "the highest pleasure" in Tatar. The “live like a local” trend is very attractive, because people are interested in coming to see how we - Tatars live on our land, without any naphthalene, without a kokoshnik. Tourists study our experience: they drink tea in Tatar style, eat in Tatar style, and this is the main task of the brand - to show and reveal our authenticity.
Oksana, how do you promote your new product?
Externally, work is underway to promote this product, it is associated with both non-standard advertising campaigns and standard effective work with tour operators and the travel agency market.
MITT 2017 is a kind of starting point for us. We are pleased to present our new branded route "Tatarstan: 1001 Pleasure", and at the same time non-standard objects and approaches.
Anton, reveal the secret of the history of the route "Tatarstan: 1001 pleasure"
The route was created with the assistance of large tour operators in Tatarstan, based on the reviews and comments of people who have come to us for the last 2-3 years. As international and domestic experience shows, any travel brand requires its own route, therefore it is a natural product of the development of the Visit Tatarstan tourism brand. The market's request and the society's request were fulfilled, we decided to support it.
Oksana, how could you describe the route "Tatarstan - 1001 pleasure"
The tour is 4 days long. Groups are mostly up to 20 people to make people feel comfortable. Specially trained guides who will be accredited along this route will work with them. They will be in branded form, it will be branded bright transport, special equipment on the route. Only carefully selected facilities, accredited and time-tested catering and accommodation facilities. All information will be presented differently, we will try to approach each tourist individually, even in the smallest details.
Anton, how does your program differ from other standard routes?
Do you know that there is a sea in Tatarstan - a sea of pleasure? We constantly say this phrase, because our main task is to approach the national component in a non-standard, non-trivial way.
We tried to get away from a simple overview of historical sites in the direction of getting maximum pleasure. For example, an interactive tour of the Kazan Kremlin is structured differently. The guides do not just read various historical facts, but the presentation of information is carried out in the form of a dialogue, a discussion with the participation of the fairy-tale character of the "Cat of Kazansky". Tour guides and even drivers are equipped in a special uniform, decorated according to a special brand.
One of the main features is that all guests are offered a set of branded gifts.
Very interesting! Anton, can you give more examples?
Oh sure. We have a version of a new vision of standard excursions. Everyone knows the Ferris Wheel, the second in Russia - a tourist site within the Kazan Riviera, opened in November last year. In our program, each of the 38 booths is dedicated to its own country. For example, in a booth dedicated to Russia, an actor disguised as Peter I talks about the history of the country.
Another example. If groups have planned meals in Kazan, then usually this is a classic lunch in a simple cafe or restaurant, where all tourist groups take, and we have lunch on the Kremlin Embankment, one of the most famous promenades in Russia. If this is a national-style lunch, then this is not just a cafe with chak-chak, noodles and so on, but this is a lunch with steamed lamb on the banks of the beautiful Volga. It is prepared right in front of guests in a specially fenced place with gazebos.
If we talk about the Island-city of Sviyazhsk, there seems to be such a classic excursion, but we decided to answer the request of many people who do not have enough time to walk around the island. In this case, we included free time not 10-15 minutes, as usual, but gave tourists about an hour to take pictures, buy souvenirs, and inspect something slowly. And lunch in Sviyazhsk is special - it is a restored seventeenth-century tavern, a wonderful chamber and atmospheric place in the VIP hall for 15 people.
Anton, on what basis do you select hotels?
At the moment, the route offers 4 days and 4 nights with accommodation in two main hotels in Tatarstan, this is a good level DoubleTree by Hilton in the city center and the Nogai hotel, opened in summer 2015, located in a historic building of the early 19th century. Moreover, I will immediately notice that hotels and restaurants undergo special accreditation in Tatarstan to participate in our programs.
Anton, how many people will be in one group?
We bring together small groups, but with an individual approach. The buses are planned for large forty-seat buses, but with fewer people, the group will be 15, maximum 20 people, so that the accommodation in the transport will be very comfortable. Unlike VIP minibuses, buses have a smoother suspension and travel.
Anton, how do you plan to select guides for your programs?
In general, we are working to prepare the “new wave” guides, we are carrying out a tough defense, because a guide is 70% successful, if not more. Each of them should be able not only to convey information, but to be immersed in this atmosphere and be able to do everything: be a psychologist and solve a problem if necessary, do a clown, feed and drink and be a real friend of this group during all 3-4 days of the program.
Oksana, are there any master classes or interactive events planned along the route?
Oh sure. For example, one of our days is dedicated to Bulgarian pleasures. People go to the primordially Islamic place where it was born, where they are met on the Khan camel of this territory, and tourists in the open air in an unusual place themselves participate in the process of cooking steamed lamb pilaf with vegetables, accompanied by ethnic music.
And your wish for future guests of Tatarstan
Summing up, we can say that in Tatarstan there are pleasures for every taste, and there really is a sea of them! Come to us, we will be happy to meet you, tell and show you everything!
