Digital tourism in Primorye: VSUES students propose tourism industry development projects

The Fifth International Youth Tourism Congress opened at VSUES on 25 May. The anniversary conference was organised by the International School of Environment and Tourism. Over two days, participants will discuss the industry's prospects in Primorye and propose their own projects for its development.

The university has been involved in shaping a comfortable and interesting tourism environment in the region for many years. Such events help to immerse young professionals in the specifics of working with business and state structures, and to establish links with experts.

— There are now many turning points in the tourism business, and it is being actively supported by the state with subsidies, grants, and tax reductions. More importantly, information technology is being actively introduced. This year, we have opened a new educational program for Master's degrees in Innovative Technologies in Tourism, because we understand that our field will be directly linked to the digital economy," stressed Galina Gomilevskaya, Director of the International School for Environment and Tourism.

The main issues of the first day of the conference were modern marketing technologies, hotel chain management and state support. Artem Kononov, Associate Professor at the Department of Tourism and Ecology, conducted master classes with students on creating a telegram-bot for tourism enterprises, and presented a virtual tour of the university campus, which will be useful for applicants and first-year students to get to know the university. The Boiling Point then hosted a foresight session focused on finding interesting solutions for the development of eco-tourism in Primorye.

With the help of the congress, students will be able to develop not only their professional competences, but also their soft skills, and talk to industry representatives. For their part, VSUES professors will immerse themselves in the practical side of the industry and bring new ideas to the educational process.