In anticipation of the Tourism Day we talked to student of the Institute of Sport, Tourism and Service Polina Smirnykh and learned about what a real professional of the tourism sphere should learn and need to be able to do.
–How did you find yourself at the ISTS? Why did you choose SUSU?
– I came from another region to apply documents for enrollment in a university, and as soon as I saw the main building of SUSU I immediately fell in love with it. After that my goal became to enter SUSU. Now I don’t have a slightest regret about my choice, I have the opportunity to visit forums, be a volunteer at international competitions, and all this thanks to our university’s help. At the Institute of Sport, Tourism and Service I found the specialty I dreamed about.
– What specialization are you studying? Why choosing exactly this specialization?
– I am studying at the Department of Tourism and Socio-Cultural Service. I chose tourism because I dreamed to visit all corners of the planet, and I was sure that this profession will help me realize my dream. And I wasn’t mistaken, because just during study in the frameworks of educational programs I got lucky to visit Kazan, Sochi, Tyumen, Perm, Yekaterinburg and many other cities.
– What is difficult in your profession and what is interesting for you? Tell us interesting cases connected with your study.
– I haven’t yet encountered any difficulties of the profession, as my working experience in this field is not enough. But I can assume that as nowadays it becomes popular to elaborate travel routes by yourself instead of applying to a travel agency, you need to excite a client’s interest, make his tour unique and peculiar. I have already had a chance to project my own tour, the example of that is the Tyumen-Tobolsk route. I can say that it is quite difficult, and you need to be very attentive, responsible and concentrated, think everything through.
Basically, we try ourselves in different areas – from service workers up to rafting instructors. Each of our internships or outdoor training is so exciting that you simply fall in love with your profession.
During one of the tours, we came to Chelyabinsk for dinner before departure. The road to Chelyabinsk took 16 hours. Everyone in the group were very hungry while waiting for their order to arrive. After half an hour we were given only cutlery, and ten more minutes later they served us tea. We wished just to eat quickly and leave, but everything that they served in the result was a soup – and nothing else. Of course we were irritated but the most unfortunate among us was the tour organizer, because he left about 40 people hungry… It shouldn’t be so; this is exactly a display of professionalism of the tourism industry workers.
– What are perspectives of your profession? Where would you like to work in the future?
– There are plenty perspectives in the profession. There are enterprises which are ready to recruit young specialists. There are always resort cities which require new cadres. Today it is fashionable to travel, so you need a fresh look to bring peculiarity in same old travel destinations.
I can’t tell for sure where exactly I will be working in the future. For a start I need to gather experience and become a professional in one of the tourism spheres. What I know is that I wouldn’t want to sit in a tedious office. Be a rafting instructor, guide tourists into mountains – I think, that is for me.