Tourism experts spoke about the demand for the field and staff training

Oleg Podolsky, Director of the Federal Resource Center for Personnel Training for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry of RGUTIS, and Yulia Antipova, Head of the Development Department of the RGUTIS Federal Research Center, author of the Brands of Cities project, spoke about the relevance of the field and personnel training. In an interview with Radio 1 on Thursday, April 9, Podolsky noted that one of the main problems of the industry remains the shortage of personnel and the need to make it more attractive.

According to him, the task of the Federal Resource Center is to unlock the potential through the training of specialists at various levels: from employees working with clients to managers. He added that the center has been operating for more than three years and annually increases the scale of training: if more than 3 thousand people were trained last year, more than 8 thousand are planned this year.

He also stressed that the center cooperates with more than 86 regions, and interest in the development of tourism is growing throughout the country. He singled out the Moscow Region as one of the leaders in attendance, noting that domestic tourism is actively developing, as Russians increasingly choose holidays within the country.

Antipova, in turn, noted that tourism is a more profitable area than is commonly believed: for example, the income of guides in large cities can be comparable to the salaries of top managers. She added that the center fulfills a state order for personnel training and is ready to train specialists for free if regional programs are in demand by businesses and tourists.

Top for your money: China, Turkey and Belarus topped the ranking of trips to the May holidays

Of the Russian destinations, travelers prefer two capitals, Krasnodar and Sochi.

Earlier on April 9, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Moscow Region announced that the region's ski resorts hosted about 1.5 million guests in the 2025/2026 season. One of the most popular was the Krasnaya Gorka complex in Podolsk — almost 390 thousand visitors. The Volen– Stepanovo Park in the Dmitrov District hosted about 300,000 guests, and the Leonid Tyagachev Club hosted 280,000 ski and snowboard enthusiasts. 360.ru .

On April 7, tourism expert Svetlana Goncharova told NSN that now operators offering cruises attract travelers not with discounts, but with decent service. So far, there has been a decrease in Russian demand for cruises, but it may increase just before the start of navigation at the end of April.

On the same day, Inna Ryndina, commercial director of the Russian Seasons hotel group, told Izvestia that the decline in demand for travel services in early 2026 was due to rising costs, flight uncertainty and changing consumer behavior. The expert stressed that it is the risks of postponing flights for several days that directly affect the decision to travel.

In March, it was reported that a register of farmers providing agrotourism services could be created in Russia. The bill submitted to the State Duma is aimed at developing rural tourism: it will allow such facilities to be more actively included in the general tourist flow and provide farmers with access to government support and grants, writes RT.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.