At the forum, investors, business representatives and regional authorities will be able to establish effective interaction, define the perimeter of joint work and see ready-made business models capable of generating jobs, improving the economic microclimate and increasing the tourist attractiveness of territories.
Director of the Russian Franchising Association Yuri Mikhailichenko spoke about the international experience of using franchises and shared his expectations for the upcoming forum: “The decision to include franchising in the tourism and regional development industry is extremely timely, since franchising covers about 90% of the tourism industry at the global level. Such models are widely used in the accommodation industry, the hospitality industry, service services, logistics and in the work of travel agencies. At the upcoming forum, we will show the best concepts in the hospitality industry, popular solutions for retail, service facilities and several franchises that guarantee the launch of accommodation facilities. In addition, the participation of colleagues from the EAEU countries and foreign franchises will enrich our experience with the best international practices."
He also noted that filling the territory with franchises of an established business allows creating jobs and a taxable base. A business developed under a franchise allows for the introduction of high service standards in new territories in a short time.
The importance of the upcoming event for the region was emphasized by the head of the Restaurant Managers Union (RMU) and president of the Tigrus restaurant holding Henrik Winter: "Exhibitions and forums on franchising play an important role in the development of high-quality business in Russia. Franchising allows you to raise the level of offers and increase the competitiveness of the market by introducing international quality standards in food, atmosphere and guest service. This is especially important for regions with great potential. The North Caucasus Federal District is just gaining momentum in tourism, but there is already a high level of service and brands that can meet the growing needs of tourists and residents of the region."
One of the key events of the forum will be a series of plenary sessions and discussions dedicated to the integration of IT solutions into the tourism industry and the digitalization of the region. It is reported that in recent years, domestic tourism in Russia has been actively developing: in 2023, the number of trips reached 75 million, and in 2024, an increase of 15% is expected. However, this trend poses new challenges for the industry: the need to improve infrastructure, personnel shortages and a lack of analytical data for planning.
The organizers and participants of the forum see the solution to the problem in extensive digitalization. On the sidelines of the forum, they will discuss the effectiveness and need for the implementation of such IT business tools as voice assistants that can improve service and prevent missed bookings, computer vision that enhances security at tourist sites, and digital platforms that can solve the issue of personnel shortages.
An important topic of the forum will also be the integration of artificial intelligence into analytics and customer service. Industry experts, partners and speakers are confident that the use of artificial intelligence in the tourism industry will increase productivity and service quality.
The founder of TeamJet, a digital hotel management company, Alexey Korneev, also emphasized the leading role of digital tools in running a hotel business: “IT technologies are becoming a driving force in the tourism industry, especially among millennials, who travel more often than other generations. Today, about 70% of guests prefer hotels with contactless services - from digital keys to electronic menus.
Digital management systems not only increase the efficiency of hotels, freeing staff from routine tasks, but also help in creating personalized service. This contributes to improving the quality of service and increasing customer loyalty - critical factors in the rapidly changing tourism market."
"FTT-2024: Forum of Tourist Territories" is held with the participation and support of key associations: the Association of Ski Resorts, Territories and Services, the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia, Industrial Parks and SEZs of Russia, the Union of Associations and Partners of the Entertainment Industry, the Union of Shopping Centers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the Association of Country Hotels, the Republican Union of Travel Industry of the Republic of Belarus, the Uzbek Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs, the Kazakh Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs, the Franchising Associations of Armenia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and other specialized associations.
The organizers and operators of the FTT-2024 Forum are SPORT B2B and UCS "NOMOS" (OKR "NOMOS").
You can register for participation on the official website.