Tourists found their tour operators

The tourist exhibition "Baikaltour" completed its work on March 30. It was big and impressive event. An international tourist forum “Time to relax on Lake Baikal” took place at the Sibexpocentre site. This forum made a great contribution to the development of the tourist destination of our region. Business programme of event was full with information for tourists, guides and everyone, who loves travelling. Exhibitors (more than a hundred) offered their services, conducted practical exercises at the stands, invited visitors to visit their wonderful countries and try new types of tourist medicine. We can see that exhibition expands its boundaries, because companies from China, South Korea, Mongolia and different parts of Russia tool place at the exhibition.

Everybody could attend all the events of his interest during all the days of the exhibition. For example, specialists showed the guests an algorithm for creating and promoting a tourist event, presented tourist events of the Irkutsk region, conducted a discussion panel called ‘Creating a tour to an event or how to build interaction with a tour operator’ and so on.

A special event of the exhibition, of course, was the international tourism forum ‘Time to relax on Lake Baikal’, where all the most relevant topics of the tourism industry were discussed. Participants of the forum discussed personnel policy of the tourism industry, the quality of hotel activity, and the economic consequences of legislative contradictions on the protection of Lake Baikal.

In the framework of the business programme the following documents were signed: An agreement on cooperation between the Tourism Agency of the Irkutsk Region and Foundation for the Development of Public Relations ‘Region PR’, on the implementation of projects aimed at popularizing event tourism in the Irkutsk Region and an agreement was reached on holding a large Russia-event forum in 2020; Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency for Tourism of the Irkutsk Region and the Department of Nature Protection and Tourism of the Khubsugul aimag of Mongolia. There will be work on the Baikal-Hovsgul cross-border route project, facilitating the establishment of friendly relations between Listvyanka and Khatgal, and preparations for receiving an international tourist flow in 2023.

One of the main directions of the exhibition was ‘school for guides’, where guides could know about rules of first aid, registration of tourist groups in the territory of the Irkutsk region going on the routes of movement, passing through hard-to-reach places. Specialists –translators told about the interpretation in the work of guides, guide-interpreters and instructors.

Special attention was paid to the ‘Tourism without barriers’ section. People discussed little accessible environment for people with disabilities, including public transport both land and air. Speakers considered problem of accommodation of persons with disabilities in tourist areas, small number of special places in hotels in the Irkutsk region, but at the same time they noted kindness of the hotel`s staff. They suggested creating a web site and special routs for partially sighted persons. Hotels that have special equipped rooms and discounts about 20% were mentioned.

‘Fire safety in hotels and proper preparation for the inspection’ and ‘Children's and youth scientific and educational tourism and its prospects’ round tables were held on March 29. At the same day, gastronomic festival ‘Taste of Baikal’, which demonstrates traditional dishes of the Baikal cuisine was held on the on the stage. Every visitor could try national dishes, assess the skill of the chef and vote for the most delicious dish.

At the last day of the exhibition theme of holding ‘The first Baikal gastronomic festival’ was discussed. There was also practical conference for restaurateurs. Speakers presented the project ‘Guide to the Siberian cuisine.’ Tourism Agency of the Irkutsk Region organized an interesting contest ‘Silver Traveler’. Real Siberian Ded Moroz was the host of the event. He tested knowledges of the participants about tourist opportunities of our region.

At the closing ceremony of the ‘Baikaltour’ tourism exhibition, Natalia Tretyakova, head of the exhibition organization department of the Sibexpocenter exhibition complex made her speech:

All the exhibitors did a great work and were awarded with diplomas.

The Baikaltur exhibition is developing every year, it becomes interesting to an increasing number of tourism industry specialists, as well as to those people who want to learn something new in the field of tourism. This exhibition, of course, was interesting both for its information content and the solution to important problems that arise in this area today, as well as the services provided, new directions, technologies, guests, exhibitors, resorts and many, many others.