"Tourism is always a holiday!" − Representatives of the Crimean tourism industry about their work
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They spend most of their time on the move. The tourist season for them is a prolonged time. As soon as the high season ends – it’s time to again prepare for the next one. They are incredibly busy people. Busy and very devoted. Today, September 27, is World Tourism Day.
On the eve of the holiday, the Travel Portal of Crimea interviewed some representatives of the Crimean tourism industry and found out what they like most about their work.
"It is a huge charge of energy ─ to see the happy eyes of tourists"
Ivan Kovalenko, director of the SNP-KRYM Tour Operator company, category 1 guide, has been professionally working in the Crimean tourism for almost 20 years, and during this time he clearly realized that his mission is to present Crimea, to make guests fall in love with it.
"This is what immersed me in tourism forever, without which I cannot imagine a single day. This is what I love about my profession. A huge charge of energy is to see the happy eyes and smiles of tourists standing on the Fiolent or Mangup cliffs, to watch the joy of people from meeting dolphins in the sea or deer in the mountains. I sparkle with happiness when I see tourists tasting peaches or figs "straight from the tree" for the first time in their lives and shut their eyes with pleasure, tasting yantykh and Bakhchisaray coffee in cezve. I feel happy, telling unusual historical facts that surprise and make the guests feel pride for the past of Crimea,” Ivan Kovalenko shared.
According to Alexei Volkov, the President of the National Union of the Hospitality Industry, he likes everything in his work. It contains travel, emotions, new acquaintances and discoveries.
"It is always pleasant to return home to Crimea, where I came from, which I love very much and which I has not yet had time to see in the whole in my long life. I am always proud of its natural, cultural and historical heritage. I like it when people listen carefully and learn something new about the region, about which, it would seem, everything is already known. Today, the hospitality industry is working successfully, tourism is given a colossal priority at the highest level, and I also like this very much in my work. We are engaged in a large and important business, we have all united for the bright future of our tourism and our country," Alexey Volkov is convinced.
Coming to Crimea, travelers will definitely strive to visit its most famous museums and palaces. The next year the Theodosia Ivan Aivazovsky Art Gallery will open after the renovation. It houses the world's largest collection of works of the great marine artist. In its renovated look, the gallery, according to its director Tatiana Gaiduk, will continue to perform a key function ─ to guide the vector of spiritual development of our contemporaries.
"No matter how presumptuous it may sound, we can influence the direction of the development of a human soul, and this is actually very important. Aivazovsky is an amazing phenomenon in the history of the Russian culture. But the museum is not only the keeper of our history: at the same time it has the potential of the "lord of thoughts". And I really enjoy working in a place with such a powerful potential. It is especially important to appeal to the soul of a person now, in such a pragmatic time of ours," Tatyana Gaiduk emphasized and added that after the renovation new exhibitions will appear, including those dedicated to the artists who worked after Aivazovsky.
"My job allows other people to make their dreams come true"
Oksana Shustikova, development and communications director of the Tvil.ru vacation booking service, thinks her work, first of all, allows her to "be in the flow" and benefit people. She is always happy to share her recommendations, to suggest good accommodation options, and enthusiastically implement new special projects.
"I am delighted with the people with whom we cooperate in our projects: bloggers, event organizers, journalists, partners. It's nice when every week we can provide hotel accommodation to those tourists who cannot afford it. Mainly, to large families. And it is especially pleasant when these people sincerely thank us later. It is very important to meet with colleagues from the tourism industry and business partners, share experience and get a charge of energy, satisfaction from the mission accomplished. Tourism is generally always a holiday!" Oksana Shustikova says.
Ilya Umansky, vice-president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, Director-General of the Alean national tour operator, also points out the "festive" component of his work. And the most important thing is the opportunity to give people a dream called travel.
"This work brings great pleasure, as it allows the dreams of other people to come true, to give them emotions, a holiday and the opportunity to travel. In my opinion, travel is one of those few benefits that can be called the most important and most valuable," Ilya Umansky is sure.
According to Tamara Chernykh, Director-General of the UPRO GROUP Russian hotel management company, only highly enthusiastic people can work in tourism. This is a difficult but very interesting job.
"I got into the hotel industry by accident when I was 18 years old and realized that I wanted to develop a career in it. For me, this is, first of all, a huge amount of communication with different people, many different areas of activity, endless opportunities for development, these are services that make our guests happy, give new emotions − this is very cool and you are a part of this in any position! In terms of development potential: now the industry became even more attractive to those who want to work here. There is a huge number of truly unlimited possibilities, if there is a will…" Tamara Chernykh admits.
"Guests of Crimea remind me about what a blessed place I live in"
When you do not just work in the tourism industry, but do something you really love, which you created yourself, it is a double pleasure and prestige. After all, you will put in the maximum of your soul in your own brainchild, striving to develop and reach new heights. And a vivid example of this is businessman Viktor Zhilenko, the founder and director of such popular entertainment facilities as the Alushta Aquarium, Yalta Crocodilarium, Miniature Parks in Bakhchisaray, Alushta and Eupatoria. And this year Viktor also opened the Gallery of Illusions in Alushta and the Pandorium action park in Simferopol.
"I do what I love. Moreover, each of my hobbies is a separate pearl of Crimea. It all started with an aquarium, when I just wanted to have fish at home, but my wife was against it. So I made it my work, − Victor laughs. − At first we had the largest collection of fish in Ukraine, and now it is the largest in Russia. In search of our first crocodile, we traveled probably all of Ukraine. Then they began to present them to us, and in the end we had to look for a separate venue for a crocodilarium. And the miniature park turned out unexpectedly. It all started with the birthday of my daughter, for whom I ordered a Barbie house from specialists. And one of them said that they saw the same house in a Turkish miniature park. Later I went there, looked, talked with the local craftsmen, who offered me their help. True, it turned out that one of their figures costs… 300 thousand Euros! So, we laughed and parted. That's how the idea came to create my own Crimean park of miniatures. We have been making our first park for three years".
The guide of the 1st category Dina Mulyanova, despite her significant 20-year experience in profession, still discovers the peninsula from new sides. Her favorite places are the mountains of the south-eastern Crimea, the Sudak district, where the stone “Ring of Love”, “Crimean Troll's Tongue”, unusual stone chaos and the Khashki-Kaya ridge, or, in other words, "Kissing Bears" are located.
"For me, the profession of a guide is an opportunity to communicate and discover new interesting routes. I never say to myself: "I know Crimea". This is not true. Each time you discover something new for yourself, and then show it to others," says Dina Mulyanova.
And what is it like to work on one of the most popular beaches not only in the South Coast, but throughout Crimea, to improve the beach service in every possible way, coming up with new ideas and services for your guests? We are talking about Massandra beach in Yalta, which focuses on social and environmental responsibility, on the promotion of gastronomic culture (by the way, the fig festival is held here until October).
"I like to make people happy, to show them that Crimea is very diverse and very cool, I like to receive a sea of love and rave reviews. Of course, I like to grow and develop, − says the marketing director of the beach Maria Yesaulenko. − Our priority is quality service, and we provide guests with a full cycle of services. We propagate a culture of environmental friendliness and, of course, do not forget about sociality. For example, this year a mother and child room was opened on the beach. In addition, we have a special sector available for people with disabilities. We are proud of our work and our Crimea".
Another well-known Crimean guide, blogger, author of a film about Lev Golitsyn and host of the "Traveling Crimea with Yevgeny Bondarenko" program Yevgeny Bondarenko shares his impressions with us: "I love my work for regular meetings with nature and history, for my favorite routes, for meeting interesting people and the opportunity to be on the move all the time, to breathe mountain air, enjoy magnificent landscapes, sunrises and sunsets. And also − to share this with our guests, guests of our peninsula, to see their admiration and joy from exploring the unknown corners of Crimea. By this, they once again remind me in what blessed place I live. The most precious thing a person has is freedom. Freedom to be engaged in what he wants, what he likes. And when a work gives such an opportunity, a person feels happy and is able to share this happiness!"
So do we, the staff of Travel Crimea, the travel portal of Crimea, every day we share with you our happiness to live in Crimea!
