TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Roadshow has become part of a unified information campaign of the Tourism Development Committee of St.Petersburg, which also includes participation in exhibitions and other marketing activities that provide an opportunity to generate interest in St. Petersburg as a tourist destination, and industry representatives to find potential partners and enter a new market.
TT Bureau
More than 100 representatives of Saudi Arabian tour operators attended the first day of St. Petersberg’s roadshow in Jeddah recently. Consul General of the Russian Federation in Jeddah Yusup Abakarov also graced the occasion. Abakarov, in his welcome speech, said, “St. Petersburg is a city of unique history and beauty! I am sure you will never regret or forget St. Petersburg if you visit it, and you can safely recommend it to your clients as a place of cultural rest and unforgettable impressions.”
The representatives were apprised of the novelties of St. Petersburg, classic programmes, and the new tourist geography of the city on the Neva river. The visitors also learned about historical sights of St. Petersburg, architectural masterpieces, the event calendar, educational and religious routes among other things. Particular attention was paid to the organisation of direct flights to the northern capital. The presentation attracted the attention of representatives of tour operators and professional associations, airlines, organisers of MICE events and specialized media from the Middle East.
It should be noted that in recent years there has been an increased interest in St. Petersburg among tourists from the Middle East countries. Discerning guests from this region are attracted by the comfortable hospitality infrastructure of the city on the Neva river – with luxury hotels, first-class restaurants, including those with halal cuisine, parks and many places where you can spend time with your family. At the same time, the citizens of the Kingdom are among the wealthiest residents in the Arabian Peninsula with a high level of income. It is natural that guests from this region are characterized by a high average bill for a trip. In addition, a significant part of the tourist flow from the Persian Gulf countries is made up of business tourists, who consider St. Petersburg as one of the key areas of business tourism in Russia.
Oksana Lokteva, CFO of ‘Grandrus’ tour operator and DMC, said, “Our company have had the privilege of participating in the roadshow of St. Petersburg and every time we were amazed at your interest, desire for knowledge, positive vibes and support. Local travel agents truly do a great job for our future cooperation. Definitely soon Russia will be on top of Saudi passengers’ bucket list destinations.”
Abdul Karim Ghalayini, Director of Dana Lebanon Travel & Tourism, said, “The roadshow was actually good because we need this information that we heard during the presentation for our clients. We have to explain to them what we have and that it’s a nice country. And you know since a long time I used to work when it was Leningrad and now it is St. Petersburgh. It’s nice and nice to meet you and we hope, Inshallhah, we hope that everything will be okay.”
Noushad Arkal, Tours Manager, TandTs, shared, “I think we got some knowledge about Russia, St. Petersburg. It’s a good informative section, the presentation was good. I have met most of the partners and thank you very much! I will try to promote St. Petersburg.”
Zahir Bin Saad, Sales Manager, Emirates Airlines, said, “This event is one of the best events in Jeddah. We enjoyed, actually, we learned a lot about the new destination for us. Because Russia was not a famous country. And now we learned a lot and we enjoyed a night with the band and with all these people. Thank you!”
