To feed and to bathhouse invite: how in Tomsk villages develop tourism

TOMSK, Oct 1  – RIA Tomsk. Residents of Zorkaltsevo rural settlement of the Tomsk region are actively developing rural tourism for years. In their estates they accept foreign and Russian delegations, schoolchildren's collectives, participants of the regional "Ax Day" holiday. How do guests met in countryside and what are they wondering about – in the material of RIA Tomsk.

How it all began

According to the head of the Zorkaltsevo settlement club Galina Zhorova, it all started in 2008. Then the local family took a brigade of masters who came to the neighboring park "Okolitsa" for the Ax Day. And in 2012 there was already experience of foreigners reception.

"The family of retired people came from Texas for the Ax Day. Of course, we were worried. We treated them with village products, showed them our life, but most of all they were impressed when we changed them into our folk costumes. They were photographed, did not want to take them away, we were given money, they say, we will take them", – laughs the interlocutor.

In 2018 in Zorkaltsevo 15 hostels are ready to host and accept tourists. Whether it's scientific Russian and foreign delegations, groups of schoolchildren, free tourists. Several tourist programs have been developed: "History and being of the Siberian village", gourmet trip "Lunch in a village hut", and also "Immersion in the XIX century".

"Sometimes, of course, you felt at a loss without knowing the mentality of the guests, but then you find a key to them, and people open up – it's a great happiness. It's interesting to watch them. For example, the Japanese ate only stuffing from stuffed pancakes, and did not touch the pancakes themselves. We have shown them how it is necessary to eat, they tasted', – tells Zhorova.

Involving in tourism, she says, – is a great incentive for local residents to develop and ennoble their estates: "The more tourists come, the more people update their homes, shower cabins appear for the convenience of tourists, additional elements of everyday life".

Heart-to-heart talks and bathhouse

The house of Tamara Kantuyeva 10 years ago just became the first village shelter for guests of the Ax Day. Since then, she says, she accepted an uncountable number of tourists from different regions, cities and countries.

"Since last year, crews began to live in a tent camp in the Okolitsa park itself, foreigners now live in a hotel in Tomsk. Apart from that all the people from the crews have been stationed there for 10 years. I fed them here, they washed in the bath. I very much like to meet guests, to show them and to talk about the country life", – says Kantueva.

She coocks for guests only from village products: "Special culinary skills are not required for this. The main things on the table – are always boiled potatoes with sour cream and dill, tomatoes and cucumbers from a kitchen garden. I cook pancakes, make morsels from our Siberian berries".

Especially active, she adds, are eager to help – they dig up potatoes, melt the bathhouse themselves.

"In general, of course, rural tourism is to be, I think, everything here is ecological – it's grown without chemistry, the air is rustic, it removes all city stress out of people. They are leaving us as absolutely different people", – shares the interlocutor.

To live in a village house costs about 450 rubles per day. Kantueva places guests in a separate room: "At any time the bath-house is fired – it's the village, not everyone has showers, we'll make a whisk. And after that, we'll feed, and start the souls' talks".

Exemplary homestead

Valentina Kuklina's estate is considered to be exemplary in the village – well-groomed, decorated with bright garden figures. All this is the work of the hostess herself. He says that she spots something in magazines, and something thinks up by herself. As materials, metal, linoleum insulation, plastic bottles are used.

"There were guests from Germany and were surprised: "How do you manage to equip the garden here, as well as at us?" Foreigners are always surprised by how in Siberia in the village it is possible to survive. When we convert our pension to their money, they are even more surprised, how we generally survive", – says Kuklina.

We survive, she says, at the expense of the household. Although labor is hard, but there are always dairy products, meat, eggs in the house: "This is what we are showing to tourists and telling them. It's interesting to urban residents, not to mention foreigners".

The cow milks

"We bought a lot on the outskirts of Zorkaltsevo and started farming in 2012. We have a dairy farm, there are 14 cows in the farm, there are chickens and pigs. In our store we sell our own products – milk, sour cream, yogurts, cottage cheese", – says the head of the farm Nikolai Koshelev.

They managed with the household both together. Children, whom the Koshelevs have three, are still small to help their parents.

"I romp with children in the daytime, and at night we process milk. I do everything by myself, the only thing I use – is a milking machine and an eletroseparator for milk. I cook cheese myself according to my grandmother's recipe, learned to do yogurt", – says Elena.

According to her, for the products to them are mostly come from Tomsk and Seversk. Often these are young families with children. The children are interested in looking at cows, they listen attentively when they are told about how they make sour cream and cottage cheese. Here children taste products.

"That's why we decided to get involved in rural tourism, too. It is possible to come to our place to see how milking is going on. I can show you how the cheese is cooking, how the milk is processed on the separator. Of course, we have no special experience, but we have a lot to show, we will study", – adds Elena.

Good prospects

According to the chairman of the regional committee for the development of domestic and incoming tourism Irina Lakhtionova, rural tourism is currently at the peak of popularity not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

"Due to the fact that the urban lifestyle is tiring, people are eager for nature to breathe in the quiet, breathe the clean air in. Considering that the Tomsk district is a recreational zone of the Tomsk agglomeration, in terms of the development of rural tourism we focus more on the Tomsk district", – she said.

But there are many things over which local residents, representatives of the profile department and travel agencies have to work.

"We make infotours together with representatives of our travel agencies, we look at the objects in the districts of the region which can enter the tourist routes. Then we discuss everything together, we advise what needs to be added so that the tourists have an interest. We will discuss all of this", – tells Lakhtionova.

In particular, she notes, it is necessary to teach residents of settlements to communicate with tourists, to be more friendly, pay attention to the purity of their homes.

"Someone does not have enough sociability to have tourists. Someone is not internally ready to let people in. We'll tell them what to do, teach, tell. Because rural tourism – is, in the first place, the question hospitality, the guest should be welcome. And we have prospects for this", – Lakhtionova summed up.