Kazan is a touristic trend now, says expert
Traditionally, Kazan is among the top popular and developed tourist locations. In 2023, about 4 million tourists visited the city. Why Kazan has become a center of attraction for people from different countries, and how to get to know the city if you have only one day to travel, explains an expert from Kazan Federal University.
An important factor is that tourism in Kazan works all year round – it is May holidays and summer period, the period of all school vacations and New Year holidays, said Oleg Bunakov, Associate Professor of the Department of Service and Tourism of the Institute of Management, Economics and Finance. According to him, a full range of tourist services aimed at all categories of tourists has developed here.
“This is both children and adults, some isolated groups, which, for example, have a thematic interest. And of course, it is of no small importance that when visiting Kazan, there is an opportunity to visit four UNESCO sites on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan. That is why Kazan is in the trend now. The trend of holding major events and their coverage in the media contributes to the increasing popularity of trips to our city in the form of such hidden advertising on the central TV channels both in our country and abroad,” believes the economist.
The influx of tourists, he says, began in 2005, when Kazan celebrated its millennium. The growth in attendance continued after other events, such as the 2013 Summer Universiade and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This year the capital city will respond to a new challenge – it will host five events of global scale, including BRICS Sports Games in June and BRICS Summit in October.
Impressions of the city are formed by the uniqueness of the population.
“Kazan is such a unique combination of East and West. Moreover, in most cases families have become mixed, and all this contributes to the fact that we have a very tolerant city that perfectly welcomes all categories of tourists,” says the associate professor. “Besides, tourism in Tatarstan is multifactorial, that is, it allows combining both cultural and historical format and entertainment. From year to year we have new objects of attraction for guests, so there is constantly new inflow.”
It is also good that Kazan is characterized by a very high return rate of tourists, Bunakov emphasizes.
The expert shared a short itinerary with visits to the main attractions of Kazan in case a tourist has only one day to get acquainted with the city.
“Of course, I would recommend starting with a sightseeing tour of Kazan with a visit to the Kazan Kremlin, where you can see all the milestones of the city’s development, formation and transformation into its modern form. After a four-hour tour, you should definitely diversify your rest and leisure time by visiting one of the cafes or restaurants of national cuisine, where you can taste our gastronomic delights. Then you can visit one of the museums, there is a very wide range, but, of course, the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan stands out – it is such a local history format. And, of course, the City Panorama Museum, which also tells about the main milestones of Kazan’s history and at the same time combines interactive aspects of a modern museum,” Bunakov recommended.
The evening should be filled with a cultural program – visiting, for example, the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater or the Tatar State Academic Theater.
The capital is also mentioned in the top locations for solo tourism.
“The fact that people travel here alone, among other things, shows that in Kazan you can easily and quietly spend time without company. It doesn’t mean that we only have such tourists who travel alone. It means that we have created such a security infrastructure in our region and in Kazan that, for example, young girls and women are not afraid to come here even just for a walk. This is a very great achievement of our city, and I believe that it speaks of its comfort and safety,” the expert commented.
The economist also said that the tourism sector in the economy of Tatarstan shows high growth rates. Now, according to him, the share of tourism in the internal regional product fluctuates in the range of 3-4 percent, and potentially this industry can bring from 10 to 15 percent.
“For those who have already visited Kazan, I would like to recommend returning to this city, because we always have something to surprise our guests, new locations appear every year. This applies to parks and squares, public spaces, which are modernized and become new objects of attraction. In addition, museums are being restored and replenished,” concluded Dr Bunakov.