"United Russia" has gathered proposals for the development of tourism in Tatarstan.

      In Tatarstan, a round table was held to collect proposals for the people's program of "United Russia" in the area of "Tourism Development," the party's official portal reported. The event was conducted by State Duma deputy Tatyana Larionova. Participants included the head of the regional executive committee of the party Marat Samigullin, the chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Sergey Ivanov, the director of the Assembly of Tourist Volunteers of Tatarstan Yulia Bashirova, the vice-rector of the Volga University of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism Adelina Pavlova, associate professor of the tourism department at KFU Natalia Utkin, deputy of the council of Zelenodolsk Artur Kamaleev, as well as student volunteers. "Tatarstan has been conducting long-term, systematic, and well-thought-out work in the field of tourism. We were the first region to establish a tourism committee that specifically addressed the issues of attracting tourist flows to the region," Tatyana Larionova reminded. Sergey Ivanov stated that tourism in Tatarstan has become one of the leading sectors of the economy over the past 20 years. "In 2005, the republic was in eighth place among all Russian regions in terms of the number of incoming guests. But by 2025, we have already risen to fifth place, with Moscow, Krasnodar Krai, St. Petersburg, and the Moscow region ahead of us. These are regions that objectively have a historically larger accommodation capacity. The result of the work under the leadership of Mintimer Shaimiev and Rustam Minnikhanov is that the republic has entered the top five largest tourist regions in the country. This is thanks to the enormous work on the revival and inclusion of four sites in the UNESCO World Heritage list: the Kazan Kremlin, the island-town of Sviyazhsk, the Great Bolgar, and the Kazan University Observatory. Currently, Tatarstan ranks first in the country in terms of the number of UNESCO sites in one region," emphasized the head of the State Committee for Tourism. Ivanov also reported that by 2025, the tourist flow to the region is expected to reach 4.5–4.6 million people. According to the national project "Tourism and Hospitality," this figure needs to be increased by 40% to 6–6.5 million by 2030. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop hotel and transport infrastructure, increase the number of tour guides and attractions. Last year, as part of the national project, the republic received support of about 2.5 billion rubles. The funds were used to create glamping sites, recreation centers, and modern year-round houses. Since 2021, support has been provided for about 45 projects, resulting in the creation of approximately 1,000 new rooms outside the city. Tatarstan is also participating in the formation of a tourist code for the city center – creating comfortable pedestrian zones with unified navigation, lighting, and infrastructure. Such projects have already been implemented in Yelabuga, the Old Tatar Sloboda in Kazan, and the Great Bolgar, with plans to implement them in Sviyazhsk this year. Annually, 70–80 Tatarstan entrepreneurs in the tourism sector receive subsidies for equipment, playgrounds, and creating conditions for people with limited mobility. Major events are also supported – festivals in Bolgar, Kazan, and Sviyazhsk, with plans to support festivals in Yelabuga this year. The Volga University of Physical Culture, Sports, and Tourism hosts the Center for the Development of Human Resources in the Tourism Industry – one of three in the country (along with Moscow and St. Petersburg). The M-12 "East" highway has opened new opportunities for auto tourism. The federal project "River Highways" is reviving high-speed transport along the Volga and Kama rivers. From 2025, subsidies will be provided for transportation by hydrofoil boats, with key routes between Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, and Cheboksary. Over 220 billion rubles have been allocated from the federal budget for tourism support for 2026–2028. This will allow the share of tourism in the country's GDP to increase to 5% by 2030. Yulia Bashirova spoke about participation in the "United Russia" forum in Nizhny Novgorod, where infrastructure development, the creation of recreation areas in protected territories, and support for investment projects for building hotels, water parks, and ski resorts were discussed. Participants advocated for an increase in tourist routes, including patriotic ones – visiting places of military glory. Bashirova proposed launching an educational project "History Outside the Window" with audio broadcasts about memorial sites on long-distance trains.

      "The topic of demographics is key for our country. But does a large family have opportunities for travel? Yes, a large family has certain benefits in terms of transport, but are all hotels ready to accommodate a large family, to help them?" Tatyana Larionova noted. Among the proposals is the expansion of social tourism for elderly people and people with disabilities, as well as additional funding for UNESCO World Heritage sites that are experiencing increased pressure due to rising tourist flows. Volunteers submitted their initiatives: creating an electronic guide for students, conducting surveys to determine the tourist profile, and preparing accompanying specialists from among the volunteers. The people's program of "United Russia" includes ensuring accessible travel to tourist sites, providing accessible and high-quality domestic tourism products, and patriotic education through familiarization with cities of military glory. Proposals can be submitted on the website естьрезультат.рф.

      Photo: Press service of the Tatarstan regional branch of "United Russia"