A tourist information center is usually created by the administration in a tourist center (resort area, historical site, recreation and entertainment) in order to provide information and other services to travelers, tourists, and the local population.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER AS A TOOL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RECREATION INDUSTRY OF THE REGION
Tourist Information Centers (TIC) are one of the important elements of infrastructure in the field of tourism. They are created to promote at various levels of their country, region, region, city. They provide information and service services in the tourism sector and other related areas. The main global goal of the TIC is to create a comfortable environment for foreigners and out-of-town tourists.
Tourist information centers of the world are widespread enough. This applies not only to traditional and popular tourist destinations, but also to those states that are interested indevelopment of tourism infrastructure and support it. Usually, TICs are created and operate within the boundaries of a particular region, district, city. Provide services for the provision of arriving tourists. However, they also perform other functions, including the sale of tours to other places outside the region of responsibility.
Tasks of the Tourist Information Center
As a rule, the main tasks of the TIC are:
- collection, processing of information about the attractiveness of the region in terms of tourism, posting it on tourist sites and other media;
- activities related to the development and publishing of various tourism-related materials, such as guides, maps with the designation of attractions, booklets, etc.;
- selection of the most suitable places and recreation routes for the tourists who have applied, providing them with assistance within the available possibilities;
- implementation of work to promote the region, region, city in international and domestic tourism markets.
Services provided by TIC
The main services provided by the TIC include:
- Bringing information to guests for reference about a city, town, country or region. Usually they talk about cultural traditions, historical data, provide information on hotel conditions and eating places, report on available transport services, etc.
- Paid or free provision of various information to tourists on media (audio and video materials, maps and diagrams, guides, informationadvertising directories).
- Provision of assistance with communication services (telephony, videotelephony, Internet, e-mail, etc.).
- Providing assistance in purchasing transport tickets, booking them.
- Purchasing tickets for various entertainment and cultural events for guests.
- Organization of excursions, including those accompanied by a guide and an interpreter.
- Booking hotel rooms and other tourist accommodations.
- Ordering, booking tables in restaurants and banquet halls.
- Providing car rental assistance, transfer services.
- For those wishing to purchase tours to domestic destinations.
- Sale of souvenirs and other tourist paraphernalia.
Other fields of activity
In order to optimize their own functioning of the tourism sector as a whole, the centers should perform other functions, namely:
- take part in the creation and sustainable operation of a common network of TIC;
- maintain Internet portals, websites of your region, timely participate in their modernization and promote development in every possible way;
- participate in the creation, development, modernization and use of tourist information arrays and databases;
- carry out advertising and promotion on various platforms of the state, region, region, city;
- analyze information about tourist flows;
- participate in automation processes for managing the operation of TIC networks.
Features of the TIC
The centers in question are usually not-for-profit organizations. They provide assistance to the authorities in the creation and application of information bases on the tourism resources of a particular region. These data are designed to attract a tourist flow, which leads to an increase in the income of the region. As a result, the authorities provide TIC with significant material support. Thus, the tourism business and government agencies in developed countries are partners. The government takes upon itself the solution of information and legal problems of the tourism sector, and business, represented by the TIC, works to develop infrastructure, ensuring its own income and the flow of funds to local budgets.
Placements
Tourist information centers and their branches, as well as their separate offices, are usually created and operate in the hub centers of the intersection of tourist flows. Therefore, the task of the TIC in such conditions is to unite their potentials (intellectual, financial and organizational), as well as the efforts of all market participants. Tourist information centers are now actively developing in many cities of the Russian Federation. Their work is generally organized similarly to foreign structures.
TIC accommodation facilities are subdivided:
- to regional and national, which are located in the capitals and administrative-regional entities;
- TIC structures abroad (as a rule, these are offices);
- on centersin historical places of world tourism (Paris, Rome, Moscow, St. Petersburg, London);
- functioning in resort regions;
- created in large transport points, railway stations, airport buildings;
- at border crossings and checkpoints on the border;
- at national and theme park locations;
- at significant tourist sites, museums;
- at public events and exhibitions.
Tourist information centers of Moscow
Following the experience of foreign countries, for the comfort of guests visiting Moscow, a network structure of tourist information centers is working. They provide travelers with assistance and information about the city.
9 TICs have been created along the line of Moskomtourism, including tourist information centers at the railway stations: Belorussky, Leningradsky, Kievsky, Paveletsky, Kursk and Kazansky. At Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports, as well as at the State Historical Museum, in close proximity to Red Square. Tourist information centers at Moscow railway stations are a very important element, which was confirmed by the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It should be noted that all TIC employees are fluent in several foreign languages and have skills in the field of psychology.
Contact information about tourist centers in Moscow and Russia
For tourists and travelers in Russia, it is recommended to receive information about Russian TICs,contacting the Federal Tourism Agency (“Rostourism”).
In the capital of Russia, for the convenience of citizens, the tourist committee has created a rather useful website. It contains extensive information about the city, its sights and other information necessary for tourists. Available in Russian and English. There is a mobile version for smartphones.
In St. Petersburg, all contact information on the TIC line can be found at the City Tourist Information Bureau, which is a structure of a single state, free, tourism information service.
Conclusion
Tourist information centers of Russia, if we study the situation throughout the country, have not yet taken their niche in the Russian tourism market. These structures are mainly at the stage of formation. Often these are spontaneous and unsystematic processes. This state of affairs leads to low efficiency in the use of regional tourism resources. To a low level of promotion in foreign and domestic tourism markets.
