Today, hundreds of different companies operate in the tourism industry. Tour operators and travel agencies offer a variety of services for every taste and budget. You can choose any direction, visit the hottest and coldest countries. But it is worth plunging into the past and remembering how it all began. Surprisingly, the first and oldest Russian travel company began its work back in Soviet times and continues to do so.
Starting activities
The name of the oldest Russian travel company originally sounded like this: the state joint-stock company for foreign tourism in the USSR "Intourist". However, later it changed several times. "Intourist" began its activity in the Soviet Union, in 1929. This means that in 2019 it will be exactly 90 years since its opening.
Since the founding,in the days of the USSR, the oldest Russian travel company did not have its own material base. In 1993, in order to develop tourism, it was merged with the All-Union Joint-Stock Company "Hotel". As a result of the merger, the company received transport, restaurant and hotel chains. It was a huge leap in development.
Explosive growth
In the 1930s, the material base of Intourist began its active growth. The company had more than 20 hotels and about the same number of restaurants, as well as about 300 vehicles, for which a separate garage was built in 1934. Now this building is known as the Intourist Garage. It is an architectural monument of the Soviet times.
If at the beginning of the 30s the cash flow of Intourist was about 50 million rubles, by the 1940s it had doubled and reached almost 100 million. Along with the cash flow, the staff also grew. In six years, it has increased by almost 6,000 people. Therefore, the 1930s can be considered significant for the oldest Russian travel company.
Reorganization in 1990
By 1990, Intourist had 107 tourist enterprises and more than fifty thousand jobs. In 1990 alone, the company received more than 2,000,000 tourists from different countries, and its revenues amounted to more than 700 million US dollars. In the same 90th year, the company was reorganized. Its controlling stake was bought out by the joint-stock financial corporation Sistema. The oldest Russian travel company has acquired a new name, whichabbreviated as VAO Intourist.
During the Soviet era, the company was the main tour operator that hosted guests from other countries. It was thanks to Intourist that many famous personalities visited the Soviet Union, from artists and writers to politicians and public figures.
Present
In 2011, the oldest Russian travel company Intourist, together with the European travel giant Thomas Cook, organized a joint venture. Over the past years, they have introduced modern technologies in the field of tourism to the company. Today Intourist is the only owner of modern international technologies in Russia. The company also boasts a rich history and its achievements. For example, VAO Intourist is a member of leading international and Russian organizations.
Intourist is not just the oldest Russian travel company, but a whole travel holding. It includes the manager of VAO Intourist, as well as four business divisions: tour operator NTK Intourist, hotel business Intourist Hotel Group, travel agencies Intourist Travel Shop and transfers Intourist Transport Services. At present, the company has a staff of 4,005 people. The company's revenue varies from year to year, averaging between 500 and 700 million rubles a year, where the share of net profit is measured in several dozenmillion rubles.
