Single-Industry Towns Development Fund noted the growth of tourist flow in the single-industry towns of Tatarstan
Single-Industry Towns Development Fund has summed up the national quest “Walk the City”, under which, with participation of Google, over 4,000 new objects have been inserted on Russian online maps. Naberezhnye Chelny was awarded an honorary diploma of the project. According to the Fund, interest in this single-industry town by potential tourists using online maps has grown by 16%.
In 2019, 170 cities participated in the “Walk the City” project, 11 of which are large regional centers. From the Republic of Tatarstan, all seven single-industry towns joined the project: Naberezhnye Chelny, Chistopol, Mendeleyevsk, Krasnye Polyany town settlement, Zelenodolsk, Nizhnekamsk, Elabuga.
The goal of the quest was to expand the functionality of Google and Yandex geo-services by adding information about cultural and architectural monuments, new tourist routes, objects of social, consumer, transport and business infrastructure, small and medium-sized businesses, and, as a result, to increase tourist attractiveness of single-industry towns.
The results were summarized with participation of the Chairman of the State Corporation VEB.RF Igor Shuvalov, who noted the active participation of the Republic of Tatarstan in projects implemented jointly with Google. In the first educational project “Business Class”, the republic became an absolute leader, which, according to Igor Shuvalov, was greatly facilitated by the managerial talent of RT President Rustam Minnikhanov.
“Comprehensive support for urban development is not only financing new infrastructure and production, but also various formats of non-financial support. The “Walk the City” project, which we started with Google, is one of such project. It serves not only to involve residents in development of their native city, but also reveals its tourism potential. The fact that it crossed the borders of small towns and attracts new partners, says that this work should be continued”, said Igor Shuvalov.
“We saw a real practical effect from the campaign: additional development of small business, an increase in the tourists flow, involving residents in the city agenda. It is important that the participating cities also felt this. This year we have plans to “walk” at least 1,000 cities. Such an assignment was given by Igor Shuvalov”, said Irina Makiyeva, Deputy Chairman of the VEB.RF, General Director of the MONODORODA.RF Fund.
During the campaign, over 4 thousand new objects were marked on online maps. More than 700 points are small and medium-sized businesses in single-industry towns. According to the results of the study, entrepreneurs noted an increase in activity and an increase in the number of visitors by an average of 10%. In addition, as a result of the quest, the flow of tourists to the single-industry towns increased. So, the number of tourists who come to cities organized with excursions increased by 15%. The number of visitors of events in single-industry towns increased by 17%. Also, interest from potential tourists in the participating cities of the campaign during its implementation increased by 22%, that is, the offline audience of restaurants, hotels and museums in regional cities also increased.
So, for example, the interest of users of online maps of the Naberezhnye Chelny of the Republic of Tatarstan increased by 16%.
“Development of single-industry towns often occurs due to the acceleration of industry, however, in Tatarstan, each settlement is the custodian of the richest cultural and historical heritage. This also contains the powerful economic potential of any single-industry town that can be revealed through the development of tourism”, said Farid Abdulganiyev, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Tatarstan.
As part of summarizing the “Walk the City” project, the heads of 10 single-industry towns were awarded with diplomas, where the quest was most vivid. Among them are Satka, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Vyksa, Naberezhnye Chelny, Nevinnomyssk, Novokuznetsk, Sarapul, Tolyatti, Tutaev and Udomlya