In Irkutsk they plan to significantly increase the tourism market and make the city not only a transit point on the way to Baikal, but also an independent destination for travel and business trips. The new municipal program focuses on business tourism, modern infrastructure, and a better urban environment for visitors. In 2013 international exhibitions, a convention bureau, updated navigation, and a reformed tourist information service are planned.
At the end of 2011, about 200,000 tourists arrived in Irkutsk. The volume of the tourism services market amounted to 2.83 billion rubles, or 0.7% of the total municipal gross product. This figure can be increased by one and a half times. This goal is set out in the municipal subprogram “Promoting the Development of Tourism and Business Communications for 2013–2017.” According to Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Committee on Economy Alexey Almukhamedov, the main tasks addressed by the subprogram are positioning Irkutsk as a tourist center and a center for business communications, forming a modern business infrastructure, and creating an urban environment favorable for tourists’ stays.“Irkutsk should become not only an entry point for tourists heading to Lake Baikal, but also an independent destination,” Alexey Almukhamedov noted. “The most promising area for the city is the development of business tourism. This is a dynamic and the most profitable sector of tourism. It involves congresses, exhibitions, and trade fairs. Irkutsk’s competitive advantage is its proximity to Lake Baikal. If the city hosts about 25 business events a year with 500 participants or more, the turnover of the tourism industry will increase significantly.”
The subprogram is designed for several years, but already in 2013 a plan of measures aimed at solving these tasks will be implemented. These include participation in international tourism exhibitions with the involvement of the tourism industry, holding a press tour for the media, and producing informational materials about Irkutsk. The city authorities will facilitate the development of the necessary infrastructure.
A city convention bureau will be created, an “event calendar” will be formed, and the “Green Line” project will be completed. It is also planned to separate the Information and Tourism Service (ITS) from the municipal institution “House of Europe” into an independent budgetary institution.
The ITS was created in 2009 as a subdivision of the municipal institution “House of Europe” to provide informational support to city guests who travel independently. The creation of the service has proven effective. In 2012 alone, about 2,000 tourists sought assistance there.
In 2013, it will have new tasks — creating a comfortable informational environment in the tourism sector in Irkutsk and promoting the city on the international tourism market. The service will ensure the city’s participation in international exhibitions, publish information maps and guides, develop the “Street Navigation” project, and update information signs.
Head of the Tourism Department of the Irkutsk City Administration Irina Urbanovich said: “As part of the Eurasian Event Forum, which took place in St. Petersburg from January 23 to 25, we became acquainted with the work of the Information and Tourism Bureau of the Northern Capital. This is a state institution with branches operating in different parts of the city. Through them, city guests can obtain information about accommodation facilities, familiarize themselves with excursion routes, and the city’s ‘event calendar.’ This is a very positive experience that we will adopt as we reform the ITS of Irkutsk. The enterprise will gain financial independence, and new staff will join it.”
In the near future, the city’s Information and Tourism Service plans to participate in the international MITT-2013 exhibition (Moscow), where a stand on Irkutsk’s tourism potential will be presented. As part of the Baikaltur exhibition, a business game on developing the city brand will be organized.
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk City Administration