ABT-ACTE Russia and TDC announce cooperation

The Russian Association of Business Travel (ABT-ACTE Russia) and Tourism Development Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan (TDCRT) have announced the start of their cooperation.

Both parties will hold joint events in order to promote the Business and Conference Hotel Attestation Program, exchange news and post-releases.

Tourism Development Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan is a multi-purpose organization whose aims include promotion of tourism and improvement of quality of travel facilities. All the activities of Tourism Development Centre are aimed at joining efforts of all hospitality market participants by providing professional consulting service.

TDC is also engaged in searching promotion channels and various programs to attract investment. Apart from its informational and analytical activities, TDC carries out educational programs in the field of tourism and hospitality.

Many large Russian and international companies and associations have chosen Kazan as a place for their events lately. The flow of corporate travellers is growing every year. Notably, about 60% of incoming travel of the region account for business travellers.

The Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan in particular have become a new interesting business event venue. Apart from an advantageous geographical location, a lot of industrial plants, sport facilities and scientific institutions, the city has a great cultural and historic value. The culture and traditions of the Tatar people are of great interest for business travellers and can make their business program more diverse. Another Tatarstan`s advantage is its reputation of a good business event venue: the Forum «Russia — Country of Sports», the Summit of the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities, IX International Congress of the World Heritage Cities Organization, the International Competition Conference under the auspices of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), events of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), XXVII International Summer Universiade 2013. All these events have made the city more recognizable and much in demand in the MICE-market.

In spring 2014 the International Veterinary Congress, the International Forum «Clinical Immunology and Allergology — cross-disciplinary problems», the International Congress of Winter Sports, Tourism and Active Rest took place in Kazan, including the IV All-Russian Congress «Medicine for sport — 2014» with foreign participants, that is traditionally held in Moscow, but this year its organizers opted for Kazan. In September the Russian National Cardiology Congress with more than 4 thousand participants will be held.

The city provides all the necessary event facilities — modern venues, exhibition centres, congress halls with all the necessary conference equipment, comfortable hotels and restaurants etc.

In 2014 the Congress Bureau of the Republic of Tatarstan will start its work, its main objectives are:

— creation of single standards of work and quality for the business travel market of Tatarstan;

— active cooperation with business travel companies in Russia and abroad;

— bringing congresses and other business events of international associations to the republic;

— collecting statistics of the events held in the Republic of Tatarstan;

— joining efforts of hospitality industry representatives in order to facilitate development and improvement of business and travel facilities of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan;

— promotion of the city and the republic as a financial, innovative and tourist centre;

— promotion of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan as a MICE-centre;

— development of educational programs in order to offer advanced training to employees of the business travel industry;

— creation of a MICE and business travel catalogue.

As the international MICE market is growing rapidly and the requirements of corporate travellers are constantly increasing, Tourism Development Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan has concluded an extended partnership agreement with the Russian Association of Business Travel (ABT-ACTE Russia). The aim of this agreement is to develop and to improve the quality of travel facilities in Russia in general and in Tatarstan in particular.

This cooperation will help hotels that are willing to become popular with corporate buyers to increase the share of international business travellers of their customers. Hotels are offered a voluntary attestation procedure that will prove that they meet the criteria that business travellers require from hotels. TDCRT holds meetings with hotels, arranges presentations of the program and answers questions.

Cooperation will also include education. TDCRT and ABT-ACTE Russia are planning to hold a series of educational sessions devoted to MICE in Kazan.

We would like you remind you that in April 2014 Grand hotel Kazan became the first Kazan hotel that completed the Business and Conference Hotel Attestation Program of ABT-ACTE Russia and was certified as a business and conference hotel. Cooperation with the Tourism Development Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan will be the next step to improve the quality of tourism and hospitality industry in Tatarstan.