Student Tourism-2022: time to discover Russia

The All-Russian Forum of Student Tourism Clubs "Student Tourism-2022" was held at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (Moscow) from 17 to 20 November. The Forum was attended by over a hundred delegates from 37 Russian universities across the country.

In his welcoming speech, Denis Ashirov, Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, noted the positive influence of the student tourism programme on the development of tourism industry in the regions of Russia and youth policy in higher education institutions. Ht also emphasized the need to expand the programme in 2022 with the involvement of up to 150 higher education institutions.

Lobachevsky University was represented at the forum by Artyom Makoveichuk, Deputy Head of Public Relations Department, Vadim Mochalov, specialist of the UNN Youth Policy Department, and Andrey Chizhov, SMM-manager and representative of the Student Travel Club "Vector".

In the course of the forum, its participants including vice-rectors, representatives of media relations and marketing departments, representatives of youth organisations of the universities summed up the results of the programme in 2021, discussed the possibilities of designing hospitality systems, considered the prospects of creating tourist services at universities. Information support for tourism projects and the prospects of the programme in 2022 were also discussed.

In 2021, Lobachevsky University (the only higher education institution from the Nizhny Novgorod region) joined the list of 15 Russian universities participating in the pilot Student Tourism Development Program of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education. From July 15 till August 25, the University welcomed about 30 students from other universities and regions of the country. A separate program was planned for the guests to visit iconic places, historical monuments and attractions of Nizhny Novgorod. Trips to the towns of Gorodets and Bogorodsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region and to Lake Svetlyar were also organized.