Tourist information centers are opening in the Irkutsk region to make travel around the region more convenient and help promote its tourism brand. Consultations in five languages, Wi Fi and electronic terminals are already available, and a tourist hotline will soon appear. The article explains how the new center in Irkutsk helps visitors with routes, hotels, transport and cultural events.

In the near future, tourist information centers will open in all major cities of the Angara region; this is one of the stages in the development of the region’s tourism infrastructure. Before the start of the tourist season, information and electronic terminals focused on the needs of tourists will begin operating in the buildings of the railway station and the Irkutsk airport. Governor of the Irkutsk Region Sergey Eroshchenko became acquainted with the work of the tourist information center, which is based at the Irkutsk State Linguistic University. The institution has a consultation desk whose staff can provide tourists with information about regional tourism products, hotel services, cultural and entertainment events, transport infrastructure, and catering establishments. As part of the center’s opening, the head of the tourism agency, Marina Rozhkova, and the university rector, Grigory Voskoboynik, conducted a series of test assignments for the consultants. At present, information assistance to tourists here is available in five languages - German, French, English, Korean, and Chinese.
According to Marina Rozhkova, shaping a positive image of the Irkutsk Region to promote the region’s tourism brand is the center’s main task. In addition, the info center is aimed at creating a comfortable information environment for Russian and foreign tourists. At present, the center has a WI-FI zone, and in the near future a telephone “hotline” for tourists - a call center - will begin operating here.
– We plan to conduct certification of translators in the field of tourism on the basis of the regional information and tourism center. This work will be organized in order to protect the rights of consumers of tourist and excursion services and improve the quality of tourist service, – the head of the tourism agency emphasized.