Tribuna’s guest is Julia Veprintseva, Senator of the Tula Region, member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy.
-The forum 'Altai. Points of growth-2015' has taken place recently. A variety of issues were discussed, including issues of domestic tourism. What should be done for the development of domestic tourism?
- The forum was held at a high level. The process of preparations was excellent. A lot of issues were discussed, not only regarding domestic tourism, but also regarding import substitution and the development of Public Private Partnership in the social sphere. But domestic tourism was given a lot of attention, because this theme is quite topical today. Internal tourism is primarily the development of our regions and each individual region. All the subjects of the Russian Federation have a large potential for the development of domestic tourism. Every region has something to show, we all know well about large expanses of our country. Whatever region we consider, everywhere there is something special to see. For domestic tourism to be relevant, effective and fast, the government must support it. There is a federal target program for the development of domestic tourism, but we understand that these funds which are allocated for the development of the region are not enough. Sponsors should invest in the industry; today we have a few hotels and good roads.
- In the areas where the flow of tourists is initially very small, people just don’t know how to do this, do they?
- Indeed, they have forgotten how to do this. Indeed, earlier we had a lot of ground camps. Of course, now the form of service has a different level. But there are not enough institutes, departments and specializations, where students are taught to work at a professional level. Certainly, a certain level of service depends on good personnel. When you are in a hotel abroad, we always see people smile at the counter. In some of our hotels, the level of service is increasing, not in all hotels. But we don’t always see these friendly faces at the counter always. That is the government should support development of infrastructure.
- Ecotourism is a new trend in Russian tourism. Do we have everything in our legislation in order for this branch of tourism to develop?
- I'll disappoint you a little bit, because there is no concept of ecological tourism in the current legislation. Ecotourism includes several formats: there is environmental control, ecology, and agriculture. The format of ecotourism would be very relevant for Russia, because as it is said: "Come to see and don’t spoil anything in nature.” Nature itself provides an enormous format in order for every tourist to have a rest. Therefore, ecotourism could be the most popular in our country, but there are many questions in connection with those who organize this tourism. And we don’t even have such a notion.
Certainly, we need an appropriate format, and also creation of inter-relationships, as ecological tourism intersects with ethno-tourism.
- It is very popular and is not so cheap abroad. If you want to participate in the olive harvest somewhere in Sicily or Tuscany. Welcome! Pay money, live in a cottage and do all this rural work to the extent of how much you want to do it.
- The economic crisis has given a great impetus to the development of domestic tourism. The dollar and the euro went up very high, tickets have become expensive. In order to rest, of course, we need a change of scenery - going to the Caucasus, to Crimea, get some fresh air.
- Let's talk about the Tula Region in terms of tourism, maybe even eco-tourism. What is this region remarkable for?
- Tourist routes are being developed. We have 4 Federal Museums; the most famous one is Yasnaya Polyana. We have quite a large number of tourists, but we are ready to take an even bigger stream. There is also the Federal Museum of Kulikovo Polye, the Military Historical Museum, the State Museum-Reserve Polenovo, which is also fairly well known. And there is a unique museum – the Museum of Arms, which is architecturally made in the form of a helmet. This is an interactive museum, there you can touch bladed weapons; you can change into a variety of historical costumes; there are various quizzes for children; they are met by animators, they play, they answer questions, receive prizes. There are weapons that are in the form of a three-dimensional image, it is possible to construct it, analyze it, look at it.
There are some specific areas for children, where they do something, while their mothers and fathers and grandparents are looking and listening to the story of Tula and the Tula region, and seeing the exhibits.
We have the magnificent Kremlin in Tula. We restored the bell tower. It was restored by Vladimir Sergeyevich Gruzdev, our governor, who has been working in Tula for more than three years. The Kremlin has become new. It became so interesting for children and adults. You can come to relax, sit on the bench. For children there are different interactive platforms.
- Let's talk about the Forum for Social Innovation, which recently has been held in Omsk. What do you think is the main inhibiting factor in the development of social services?
- I spoke at the round table on the development and implementation of PPP, public-private partnerships. The fundamental problem of the PPP development in the regions is deteriorating terms of attracting long-term financing. Short-term financing of a PPP, of course, is not satisfying. People are willing to invest big money, but they need protection and some confidence that a long-term format of investing money, of course, will bring their money back.
Another problem is the lack of a complete legal framework, which can clearly define the rules of the game on the market of PPP. This is quite a big problem, because if there is no legal framework, people do not understand how they have to draw up documents, how to maintain certain formats, so the problem arises here.
The level of competence of those employees who are working is important. They must help and ensure the format and the clearance of the documents. If these three issues were resolved, probably PPP in the form of social innovation would be developed faster and more intensely.
- As a rule, social assistance is free and provided by the state. How to involve private traders, so that they are also interested in it?
- Every person has the right of choice. The social services are available for a minimum in sum cash consideration. A haircut for retirees costs 20 rubles. And a private owner offers the same price, but it may be service of a different quality. And old persons have the right of choice.
There is a socio-private partnership, where, for example, there is a building of historic architecture, and a businessman is ready to restore the facade, to equip, but of course, in return he must also get something. Such forms are contemplated.
- Julia Vladimirovna, we are now in the studio of Vestnik Kavkaza. Have you been in the Caucasus?
- We went to various cities with my parents in my childhood. There is amazing nature, a very good attitude to people who visit, and perhaps most importantly, the nature and the air there. Ecological and ethnic tourism should be developed there. The problem is an absence of information - what it costs to travel, how much a plane ticket is, a train ticket; what sights to see.
We should provide as much information about each region as possible. The Tourism Agency is now developing a portal, where there will be a separate site for every region with its information, and you can enter via the Internet and see it. For example, if you and I want to fly to Turkey or Egypt, most major tourist destinations, we go to a very large number of sites via the Internet. If you type the Tula Region, the Novgorod Region, Altai, two or three sites will appear and there won’t be full information, where to go, what to see, and if people are willing to go by car, by their own transport, there must be some route put for each person and for the family, which will be difficult.
Therefore, the information is important. Then it would be easier to build the chain in order to find out where, what, how we can go, get, what to buy and what to see.
