The head of the Federal tourism Agency Oleg Safonov — about holidays without coercion
The head of the Federal tourism Agency Oleg Safonov said “the Tape.<url>” about the new “opening” of Turkey, visa-free regime with Europe, Charter trains, overloaded Kamchatka and voluntary stay on the tank.
.<url>: you Have a wealth of experience in the banking sector — behind the Unikombank, Soyuzaviakosmos, ORGRESBANK, then there was the RTS and “Uralvagonzavod”. In may 2014 you work in tourism. What caused the change of activity?
Safonov: Tourism is an amazing sector with a tremendous multiplier effect. He alone is able to give impetus to the development of dozens of other sectors of the economy. The huge tourism potential in our country. Now the share of this sector accounts for only 1.5 per cent of GDP and in other developed countries it is much higher. Theoretically, we can increase this figure seven times — so here is what to do financier.
In the past year, the media and the government actively discussed the idea of creating a state Corporation for tourism and a lot of money. However, in January 2016, Dmitry Medvedev, the idea is not supported, stating that there needs to be a normal travel Agency, not a government of monsters. The project was buried completely or it still has prospects?
The proposal was different: we suggested creating a state Corporation with the aim of developing tourism infrastructure, but this idea was not supported. So, we need to work on other forms of industry development. Now requires significant investment in infrastructure. We are seeing growing demand from consumers: rising the booking of hotels on the black sea coast of Kamchatka, one hundred percent loaded in the high tourist season. The thread has grown very significantly, and it pleases. But on the other hand, it is necessary to have more quality options for tourists. Infrastructure development is a priority.
The closure of Egyptian and Turkish resorts serious blow to the Russian tour operators. Now Turkey is again opened for the Russians, despite the ongoing terrorist attacks in this country. Based on what Rosturizm decides which direction is lock and which not?
Rosturizm has no authority to block paths. No restrictions on outbound tourism except for certain categories does not exist. You can go anywhere you want if you have such opportunities, but the cornerstone remains the safety of travel. We must create conditions so that you were on vacation and came back not only full of energy, new knowledge and experiences, but — most importantly — alive and healthy.
Kamchatka 100 percent loaded in the high tourist season
Photo: Alexander Piragis / RIA Novosti
The world is big, and there are many countries ready to provide a high level of safety of our tourists. Russia works in this direction with Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Iran, Morocco, Cuba, Vietnam. I have listed only those countries with which we have met over the last eighteen months.
We are actively working to simplify the visa regime with the European countries, and serious steps have been made. So, Bulgaria has opened a consular office in Ekaterinburg and now Russian citizens can get a visa within 48 hours, stood in a queue for about four minutes.
We also intend to introduce a visa-free regime for children. To Spain did not require visas for children from 6 to 12 years, but why are children under six years of age must obtain a stamp? Incomprehensible order, and we offer a simple idea: if the Ministry of tourism of Spain wants our citizens to come to their beaches, you need to enter multiple years of the issuance of visas, simplify the number of documents to be submitted, of course, to reduce the cost of the trip for the Russians. All this is in the interests of our citizens.
Different countries used different approaches to attract tourists. In Egypt, the government buys all the tickets, in other countries there is a zero value added tax for domestic air travel. What does the Federal tourism Agency?
We are actively involved in the development of measures to promote the development of domestic and outbound tourism. In 2015 in the Crimea a meeting of the Presidium of the state Council on tourism development under Vladimir Putin. From an economic point of view subsidizing airlines will increase the number of tourists in some locations up to 10 percent. With Railways, we have launched Charter trains and carriages to Anapa and Sochi, thus railway traffic has become a significant mechanism for reducing the cost of transportation.
In the tourist product transfer account for 50-70 percent of the costs, and this figure should be reduced. In addition, we have proposals for reducing the taxation of tourism to promote domestic tourist traffic. We formulate suggestions, participate in their development and actively promote their ideas.
It is also worth noting the measure, which was adopted on the initiative of the Russian government. During the summer, students are granted a 50 percent discount for journey in trains of distant following. New opportunities that have emerged from the Russian students, is the result of extensive work carried out by the government, its Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and the Chairman Olga Golodets.
In 2015, the number of foreign tourists visiting Russia increased by 5.3 percent. What measures is the Federal Agency for tourism is taking for the promotion of tourist attractiveness of the country abroad?
Last year we opened five marketing centers Visit Russia abroad. They generate streams of the most promising countries: Germany, China, UAE, Finland, Italy. Their task is to inform the local tour operators on the Russian tourist product. Last year Russia was visited by 31 million foreign citizens, which is good. Now, according to the world tourism organization, our country is among the ten most popular tourist destinations in the world, and I am convinced that Russia is worthy to enter the top three.
Also note that the Secretary-General of the world tourism organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai commended the efforts of Russia on development of internal tourism. When traveling around the country interested in its citizens, increasing the demand for travel and foreign tourists. That’s what we aspire to and what you working on.
How do you assess today the effectiveness of these centres? How much was spent on their creation?
Rosturizm has not spent the budget on the opening of the centers: they were created on the principle of public-private partnerships. Rent of offices, salaries — all paid for by the partners and investors of the various commercial organizations. The Federal tourism Agency is engaged only in the promotion of tourism products. We organize joint events, are engaged in another activity.
In the fall of 2015, the tour operator “Biblio Globus” were in an unpleasant situation: customers could not take abroad. The Federal tourism Agency contacted the “Aeroflot” and “Transaero” and ensured the evacuation of tourists. It is your merit. However, in August 2014, when the bankrupt travel Agency “Labyrinth”, and abroad, was 27 thousand clients, Rosturizm not intervened in the situation, limiting the message on the official website. What criteria do you decide which companies to help and which not?
In the case of “Biblio the Globe”, the company has advanced flights, buying tickets for individual tourists. It was about the hundreds of thousands of people. In tourism to understand: if the aviation industry does not fulfill the obligations to tourists, the social consequences will be very serious. We therefore intervened in a situation connected to work together, the Ministry of transport and the Federal air transport Agency, Aeroflot has taken all the tourists who had tickets. We are very grateful to the airline and personally to its Director Vitaly Savelyev for the work done.
Crimea and Sochi — for beach lovers
Photo: Mikhail Mokrushin / RIA Novosti
The story of the “Labyrinth” is different: the tourists were abroad without return tickets, tour operator and other airlines have not paid. People were evacuated, and all costs were covered with funds of the Fund of the Association of outbound tourism “Turpomosch”, which is formed from the contributions of tour operators. At the evacuation it took 300 million rubles — funds business, budget money for these purposes were not involved.
On the background of the story “Labyrinth” relations between the Association of tour operators of Russia (ATOR) and Rosturizm is seriously wrong. You continue to cooperate with this organization?
There are a number of public organizations — for example, the Russian Union of tour operators of Russia (ATOR). We work with all. Some of these organizations are focused on outbound tourism, but we focus on the development of the economy of our country, and domestic tourism is a priority for us.
In the framework of the development of domestic tourism in April 2016 you opened in Nizhny Tagil military-industrial resort where anyone can ride on a tank. How did the idea for this project?
The tanks are of interest to many tourists
Photo: Bolat Shahinov / RIA Novosti
In our country, a great many of enterprises that can potentially be interesting for the tourists. Judge for yourself: it’s very curious to see how pipes work, how is military equipment. For a long time, such enterprises were closed to the public, but almost all of them have the opportunity to open for ordinary citizens, certain areas that are not associated with secret development that was done on the “Uralvagonzavod”. So we are witnessing the birth of a new kind of tourism, and I am convinced that this direction will find its consumer.
How do you see the visitor of this site?
I think the audience will be broad — that any citizen of our country. For many the boyish dream was and still is to ride in a tank. We have created a product that allows anyone to visit unique and amazing places in Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil, and not only to sit in the tank, but also to visit “Uralvagonzavod” is a military smithy of Russia.
Whether such tourism locations negative image of the “belligerent” Russia in the eyes of foreign tourists?
No, of course. We advocate freedom of choice for the stay without coercion. Someone wants to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg. Someone chooses a cultural component to theatres, museums, and we welcome that. Someone closer to a beach holiday and for this we have Crimea and Sochi. We also have wide opportunities for health tourism — this area is now very rapidly evolving. Limitless potential for active recreation. But there are plenty of people who play, for example, in World of Tanks. Finally, there are those who served in the tank forces and wants to remember the youth.
Must be different types of tourism. We do not promote any other ideas except those that have invested in the project, need not look for a second bottom. Ural is a wonderful tourist destination!
