Tourist routes belong to linear forms of tourism organization. A tourist route with tourist centers located within it can be defined as a linear-nodal form of tourism organization. Any trips, trips and tours are carried out along predetermined routes. Consequently, a tourist route is a geographically defined route of a hike or trip, tied to a given area and special objects, and described with varying degrees of detail.
Tourist route are defined as a pre-planned route for the movement of tourists over a certain period of time in order to receive the services and additional tourist and excursion services provided for by the program. Tourist routes are one of the main types of services provided to tourists.
Route is defined as the route followed by a tourist, indicated by a list of all geographical points and places sequentially visited by him during his trip, indicating the types of transport used by the tourist to move between stopping points along the route. The starting and ending points of the route are the starting and ending points of the journey. The beginning of the route is the place where the first tourist service specified in the contract is provided to the tourist, and the end of the route is the place where the last tourist service is provided. Depending on the movement along the route, linear, circular, radial and combined types of tourist routes are distinguished (Fig. 7.3.).
Linear route – a route, the beginning and end of which occur at different geographical points. This is the most common type of route. The tourist stays in the destination for a certain time, while making one-day excursions from his place of stay. After rest, the tourist returns back to his place of permanent residence.
In this case, one feature of linear routes should be considered. There are two options for organizing them. The first assumes that the starting and ending points of the route do not coincide. For example, the Volga cruise “Saratov – Samara – Ulyanovsk – Kazan” is a classic example of a linear tourist route. The starting point of the journey is Saratov, and the final point is Kazan.
However, there is one thing. Let's assume that a tourist, having reached Kazan, returned back to Saratov on the same ship, visiting the same set of tourist centers as on the way from Saratov to Kazan. In this case, this option should also be considered as a linear tourist route. If a tourist, having reached Kazan by boat, returns home by train, then this option (the second) does not fit into the definition of a linear route, since his path is organized along a circular route.
But this route will only be circular if tourist services continue throughout the entire trip. Most cruises offer one-way service only. The issue of returning home is decided by the tourist independently and at his own expense. In this case, the route remains linear.
1. Linear type of tourist route
2. Circular type of tourist route
3. Radial type of tourist route
4. Combined type of tourist route
Rice. 7.3. Types of tourist routes
Radial route – a travel route, the beginning and end of which occur in one geographical point of stay, located in which the tourist travels to other points of stay, returning at the same time to the point of origin of the journey. For example, tourists from Volgograd came to St. Petersburg and after a three-day stay in the city, leaving their pre-booked hotel rooms, they made several trips to Novgorod, Pskov and Pushkin Mountains.
The main condition for the implementation of a radial route is the fact of maintaining a reservation at the hotel of the tourist center from which trips to other tourist centers are made. The presence of overnight stays in permanent accommodation facilities in Pskov and Novgorod somewhat complicates the task, while maintaining the radial nature of movements.
Ring route – a route that begins and ends at the same geographic location. A classic example of routes of this kind is the route of the “Golden Ring of Russia” tour, which passes through the following cities: Moscow – Vladimir – Suzdal – Rostov – Yaroslavl – Kostroma – Ples – Ivanovo – Moscow.
The place of arrival at the destination can be:
A) unchanged, when tourists arriving at a tourist destination pass through only 1-2 transit cities. Such cities were called “gateways”. In Russia, the gateways are St. Petersburg and Moscow. Often gateways are cities where large airports or train stations are located - for example, Chicago, Frankfurt am Main, Hong Kong, London, Dublin, etc.
b) different from the place of arrival, when tourists arrive in one city and fly home from another city. For example, a tourist begins a tour of Russia from Moscow, arriving at Sheremetyevo Airport, and ends it, flying home from Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg. These tours are called crossing tours.
Combined route – a route that contains elements of two or three other types of routes in one or another combination. For example, you can take a river cruise along the Volga with the organization of transfers by bus to tourist centers remote from the main riverbed of the Volga, such as Rostov, Vladimir, Semenov, Elabuga, Ivanovo, etc.
Tourist routes are divided according to seasonality: year-round, that is, valid throughout the year and seasonal operating during any season. We will highlight in a separate group holiday routes, tied to certain holidays. According to the duration of the trip, routes are divided into multi-day(vacation pay) and weekend routes(weekend tours).
Tourist routes must also be classified according to the types of transport used. There are aviation, railway, bus, road, river, sea and combined tourist routes.
Aviation tourist routes are reduced to use as the main air transport and are implemented in two forms: a) regular air routes and b) air routes on charter flights (irregular, by appointment). The duration of air routes can vary widely, although the actual air transportation process is quite short - no more than 10-12 hours.
Railway tourist routes involve the use of railway transport in two main forms: a) regular tourist routes and b) special tourist and excursion (charter) trains. The duration of train tours is usually quite long - from one to two weeks or more.
Bus tourist routes There are organized trips for tourists using tourist buses. Bus tours can be either regular or irregular. The duration of bus routes can vary widely - from a one-hour excursion to three-week bus tours throughout Europe.
Unlike buses, automobile tourist routes involve travel of unorganized groups of tourists both in their own and rented cars. The duration of such trips is determined by tourists independently and can vary widely - from one day to six months.
River And sea tourist routes are based on the travel of organized groups of tourists using sea and river transport as the main modes of transport. Travel by water transport is carried out in three forms: a) sea and river cruises; b) excursion and pleasure flights; c) yachting and individual travel. The duration of water travel can be very different - from one day (excursion and pleasure cruises) to six months (expensive cruises).
Combined tourist routes involve the use of two or more modes of transport in various combinations. Multimodal transportation has become widespread in the practice of the tourism business, as it allows optimizing the structure of the tour and the time costs for its implementation.
Considering the spatial organization of tourist routes, it should be noted that it is the completeness of their system that is the factor that helps to distinguish tourist areas and especially microdistricts. When delineating a territory with a completed system of routes, an elementary territorial tourism system is actually created. The system, in addition to the network of tourist routes, will also include settlements as places of demand generation, as well as transport communications as a means of communication between the destination and the place of demand generation. We will talk about tourist centers and destinations in the next paragraph.
World Travel
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01.03.16 10:16
We've become so lazy lately! Travel agencies offer us to visit the most prestigious resorts in the world: airport transfer, personal guide, all-inclusive system, 24-hour butler - a lot is available for money. But there are still those among us who prefer to create their own routes or take “advice from experienced people” and feel like real travelers by going on a long hike. Tourist routes in Russia - both traditional, operating in the pre-war USSR, and relatively new ones - are a real adventure!
Time-tested: All-Union routes
Let’s start with those “remnants of the Soviet past.” One of the most interesting of these Russian routes was shortened due to a tragedy that occurred in the early 1970s (on the Fisht glacier). Tourists start in Adygea and finish in Dagomys, near the Black Sea. The 20-day “All-Union Route No. 30” was created back in the early 1930s. It runs through the famous Caucasian Nature Reserve. You will pass through several climatic zones, breathe in clean mountain air, and the landscapes of the subtropics will be imprinted in your memory forever. The only inconvenience (unless, of course, you are afraid of hiking in the mountains) is that you will have to pay a fee for each day you stay in the reserve.
There are several options for passing the All-Union Route No. 77. It runs through the Altai Mountains, the Katun River (rafting along it is very dangerous) and Lake Teletskoye, the pearl of these places. Tourists can visit the Denisova Cave (it was opened not so long ago) and see with their own eyes the Ukok plateau, on which the legendary “Altai Princess” (the mummy of a girl discovered in 1993) was buried. We warn you right away: this tourist route in Russia has always been considered the most difficult, so many people prefer a simplified pedestrian crossing - from the settlement of Edigan to Lake Teletskoye. And still, on this not very long path you will see one of the most beautiful natural areas of the country - Altai is magnificent!
Riches of the ancient land: “Rings of Russia”
There is no need to introduce the “Golden Ring of Russia” for a long time - a lot has been said and written about it. Stopping points are ancient cities with many temples, craft centers, museums, and cultural monuments. You will cross the borders of several regions (“The Golden Ring” “embraces” the Moscow, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Tver and Yaroslavl regions). Every stop is admiration and delight. But even if you are not a fan of ancient architecture, local archaeologists can show you a lot of interesting things. For example, the notorious Vladimir Central was also located on the territory of the Ring. Historians will show you the paths along which prisoners escaped from dungeons. You might even be lucky enough to find a treasure!
In addition to the Golden Ring, there is also the “Silver Ring of Russia”, which runs through the lands that in ancient times were part of Novgorod Rus', the richest principality - now these are the lands around St. Petersburg. The route begins in Veliky Novgorod and ends in Tikhvin. You will see not only Pskov, Pechory (Pushkin’s places with interesting monasteries), but also “pro-Western” Vyborg, Kingisepp and Ivangorod, located on the Estonian border. In the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Finnish and then German troops hid stolen goods from the richest ancient churches and monasteries. So there are plenty of treasure hunters here too.
Are you a romantic and love poetry? You will definitely like the Pushkin Ring of the Upper Volga region route, opened 45 years ago. You will visit many settlements - local estates, hotels, former forges and travel palaces still remember the great classic. Alexander Sergeevich visited the Tver province often - he visited his friends in the period from 1811 until his death. You will feel like a character in the poet’s works, taste delicious shanezhki, drink some water in healing springs, and visit not only the manor houses, but also the poet’s two museums (in Torzhok and Bernovo). The length of the route is approximately 250 km - not very tiring!
The legendary path from the Varangians to the Greeks
The Blue Road route is the only one in our ranking of the most interesting routes in Russia that “wanders” abroad, or rather, it begins there (on the Norwegian coast, in Mo i Rana), and continues in Sweden and Finland. But it finishes here in Karelia. Why did the route get this name? It’s just that its two thousand kilometers are mainly located on the banks of lakes and rivers. This is the same path “from the Varangians to the Greeks”, so popular among our distant ancestors. The former trade “tract”, now a very popular route crosses almost the entire Karelia (from the border with Finland to the Arkhangelsk region). These are very beautiful protected places!
The newest route: the virgin nature of Lake Baikal
Unlike other interesting tourist routes in Russia, this “Great Baikal Trail” is still in its infancy. But several small ecological “trails” have already been opened. When everything is completed, the total length of the route will be about 1800 km. According to plans, the route will pass through the territories of three national parks and three nature reserves. The idea to develop such a “trail” was born in the 1970s, but almost thirty years passed before enthusiasts began to implement it. Visit this wonderful world - Baikal does not need any special compliments or advertising. The fauna and flora of both the lake itself and its shores are largely endemic and simply amazing. What is especially captivating is that there are no factories, sanatoriums or holiday homes near the route; this is a virgin region, not disfigured by civilization.
On the border of Europe and Asia
Are you a seasoned hiker? Then you will not be scared by the multi-day route “Big Ural Ring”, which passes through populated areas of the Sverdlovsk region and Perm region, including Perm itself, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Tagil, Solikamsk. The road lies through the middle Urals. But risky travelers take the opportunity and be sure to turn towards Miass, because in its vicinity there is a unique natural monument, Lake Turgoyak, one of the largest freshwater bodies of water in the country. It is not for nothing that it is called the “Pearl of the Urals”: the crystal clear water can compete with Lake Baikal. It was in these parts that Pyotr Bazhov was inspired to later write his wonderful tales (several mines for the extraction of semi-precious stones still exist here). It was these lands that Ermak once conquered. And it is here that the memorial sign “Border of Europe and Asia” is located. Stand on it and make a wish!
A tourist excursion route is a set of services provided by tourism enterprises to citizens (tourists). According to M.B. Birzhakova, “a tourist route is a geographically defined route of a hike or trip, tied to a given area and special objects, and described with varying degrees of detail.” In any case, travel (stays, trips, tours) is carried out along pre-selected routes, and they have a certain duration and purpose.
Often a tourist route is defined as a pre-planned route for the movement of tourists over a certain period of time in order to receive the services and additional tourist and excursion services provided for by the program. Tourist routes are one of the main types of services provided to tourists. Tourist and excursion organizations develop routes in advance, including a certain range of services (food, accommodation, excursions, sports and leisure activities, etc.).
A route is the route followed by a tourist, indicated by a list of all geographical points and places sequentially visited by him during his trip, indicating the types of transport used by the tourist to move between stops (stays) on the route. The starting and ending points are the starting and ending points of the journey. The beginning of the route is the place where the first service specified in the contract is provided to the tourist, and the end of the route is the place where the last tourist service is provided.
Routes are classified according to various criteria:
type, seasonality of action, route construction, duration, methods of movement and content.
The types of routes are:
- * thematic - with a predominance of excursion services and educational orientation;
- * hiking - routes with active modes of transportation;
- * physical education and recreation - with a predominance in the program of sports and recreational activities.
To build the route:
* Linear - with a visit to one or more points (except the initial one) located on the route;
A linear route is a route, the beginning and end of which occurs at different geographical points of stay. However, this is the most common type of tourist route. The tourist stays in the destination for 7-10 days or more, making one-day excursions from his place of stay. After the holiday, the tourist returns to his place of permanent residence.
* Radial - with a visit to one point on the route;
A radial route is a travel route, the beginning and end of which occur at one geographical point of stay; while located there, the tourist travels to other points of stay, returning at the same time to the point of origin of the journey. For example, tourists from Saratov arrived in Moscow and, after a two-day stay in the capital of Russia, leaving hotel rooms behind, made two-day trips to Smolensk, Rostov the Great and Vladimir.
* Circular - with the coincidence of the starting and ending points of the route and visiting several points along the route.
A circular route is a travel route, the beginning and end of which occur at one geographical point of stay, for example the “Golden Ring of Russia” tour (Moscow - Sergiev Posad - Rostov Veliky - Yaroslavl - Kostroma - Ivanovo - Suzdal - Vladimir - Moscow).
In this case, the place of arrival in the country or locality may be:
unchanged when tourists, arriving at a destination, pass through only one or two transit points - cities (for Russia, Moscow and St. Petersburg are considered such “gateways”)
* Combined route - a route that contains all the elements of linear, circular and radical routes in one or another combination. For example, you can take a “Golden Ring of Russia” tour in combination with a visit to ancient Russian cities not included in the tourist route - Smolensk, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod and others.
According to the seasonality of operation, tourist routes are divided into year-round, which includes all types of travel routes with a year-round schedule of their operation, and seasonal, operating during a particular season or seasons.
Based on the duration of the trip, routes are divided into multi-day (vacation) and weekend routes.
By transport affiliation:
- * Tours on your own transport, belonging to the transport facilities of travel agencies;
- * Tours on rented specialized transport owned by transport organizations, which travel agencies use on a lease basis for a certain period;
- * Tours on public transport - on scheduled passenger transport, where tourists are transported as passengers;
- * Special tours on the personal transport of tourists - for owners of personal cars, with the provision of all types of services along the route, except for travel.
According to the types of transport used, tourist excursion routes are divided:
- * Motor ship routes - on motor ships of river and sea shipping companies; sea: cruise - more than a day, sightseeing - no more than a day; river: tourist and excursion flights - more than a day, excursion and pleasure flights - no more than a day;
- * Air tours: group - using part of the seats on passenger airlines; special flights - full rental of an aircraft for special tourist transportation;
- * Bus routes: tourist and excursion routes - with the provision of accommodation and meals, various services, walking routes - without service, city transport can be used;
- * Railway tours: group travel using part of the seats on scheduled trains; special - rented trains using seats in the cars as a base for accommodation on a given route;
- * Combined tours - travel using two or more types of transport.
- * outdoor recreation (sea coast, mountains, etc.)
- * hunting and fishing, etc.
- * visiting archaeological excavations, historical monuments and other attractions.
The basic principles of organizing excursion tourist routes are the following: attractiveness, accessibility, content, functionality, versatility, comfort, awareness.
To attract tourists, there must be something on the route that they would want to see, hear or do. You can attract tourists with anything: historical places, picturesque areas, cultural events and exhibitions, hunting, fishing, festivals, rare animals, birds and much more. Therefore, when organizing tourist routes, special attention should be paid to thematic excursions.
Availability involves the use of various types of transport on the tourist route: car, bus, train, plane, and for walking routes - an equipped tourist route. Most tourists will prefer those places that are easy, cheap and convenient to get to.
Content a tourist route means the presence of educational elements that promote acquaintance with nature, natural resources and monuments of culture, history, architecture, and so on. The principle of content allows tourists to learn more in a relatively short period of time, enrich themselves with knowledge of many cultures, interesting sights, and stimulate the desire for further exciting travel.
Functionality involves year-round use of the same tourist route, but with a different set of seasonal services. Thus, in the summer, the mountain route largely consists of hikes and excursions through gorges with inspection of mountain lakes, waterfalls, snowfields and glaciers, and easy ascents to panoramic peaks to survey the area. In winter, the focus is on skiing.
Multidimensionality tourist route requires the presence of pre-prepared options in the tourist service program. The need for multivariance is determined by the variability of weather and climatic conditions, the variability of the composition of tourists staying on the route (differences in their physical fitness, capabilities and demands).
Comfort. Tourists will give preference to those routes where, in addition to excursions, conditions for housing and food will be created. The absolute minimum is some food and a tent, the optimum is three meals a day, sleeping indoors on a bed, hot water supply. Tourists can stay in a hotel, individual houses, small hotels, boarding houses, trailers, and private houses. In rural areas, motels and campsites may be available for tourists. Restaurants and other eating places can be either indoor or outdoor, large or small, simple or elegant. The most important thing is that the food has good taste, even with a simple menu.
Awareness. A tourist route may meet all the requirements listed above, but there may not be tourists on it, since they have not heard or known anything about it, that is, they were not informed. Awareness of the tourist route is achieved through various means of advertising - in brochures, magazines, newspapers, radio and television, as well as through agents, travel agencies and through tourists who have extensive travel experience. A tourist must know what he will see, what he will do on the route, how he will get there and where to stop before he decides to go along this route (Basics..., 2002).
Classification of tourist routes can be built according to various criteria.
There are different types of routes::
- - thematic - with a predominance of excursion services and educational orientation;
- - hiking - routes with active modes of transportation;
- - physical education and recreation - with a predominance in the program of sports and physical education and recreation activities;
- - combined - routes that combine elements of all the listed routes.
According to seasonality of action routes are divided:
- - year-round (out-of-season);
- - seasonal - operating during a certain season (ski, water, mountain, etc.).
By route construction routes are divided into:
- - linear - with a visit to one or several points (except the initial one) located on the route;
- - radial - (stationary) with a visit to one point on the route;
- - circular - with the coincidence of the starting and ending points of the route and visiting several points along the route.
By duration routes are:
- - multi-day (14-30 days);
- - several days (1-3 days) - weekend routes;
- - several hours (excursions).
By type of transport on the route:
- - the travel company’s own transport;
- - rented (chartered) transport from other organizations;
- - personal transport of tourists.
By mode of transportation on the route:
- - bus;
- - motor ships (sea, river);
- - aviation;
- - railway;
- - combined.
A simplified classification of tourist routes is presented in Figure 3.
Figure 3 - Classification of tourist routes
Route development- a complex multi-stage procedure that requires fairly high qualifications and is the main element of tourism service technology. It takes a long time and sometimes takes several months.
The organization and conduct of a tourist route of various types and types includes the following stages: preparatory, route, final (Fig. 4).
Figure 4 - Stages of completing a tourist route
The implementation of a tourist route is preceded by very serious preparation of the leader of the tourist group. At the preparatory stage, he first of all carefully studies the tourist route, the travel program and the conditions of service for the group at each point of the route.
The program of each tourist route must correspond to the purpose of the trip and contain a plan of activities implemented to satisfy the specialized or specific requests and interests of tourists (Kabushkin, 1999).
The organization and conduct of a tourist route must be reflected in the route documentation. The following groups of documents can be distinguished in it.
- 1. Technological documents for the route, hike, excursion.
- 2. Documents for the implementation of the tourist route.
- 3. Documents for servicing a group of tourists on the route.
- 4. Reporting documents.
The documentary basis of a tourist trip are:
- - technological map of tourist travel;
- - information leaflet for the tourist package with a description of the trip.
When organizing an excursion, fill out:
- - technological map of the excursion;
- - control package of the excursion;
- - materials from the "Tour Guide's Portfolio";
- - route diagram of the transport excursion route.
Methodology for conducting an excursion tourist route- this is a set of techniques that form the basis of the work of the route leader (tourist group) during a tourist trip. The methodology for conducting a tourist route consists of two parts:
- - verbal technique,
- - practical methodology (Fig. 5).
Verbal technique involves the use by the leader of a tourist group of methods of oral presentation of travel information on the route, conducting introductory and final conversations with tourists.
Travel information- an important part of the leader’s work with tourists along the route. Materials for travel information should be prepared by employees of the travel company long before the start of the route, well studied by the head of the tourist group, updated or supplemented if necessary. To do this, the leader must have a good knowledge of the route, the history and sights of the country, region, region, district or city through which the route passes, and the objects of display encountered along the way.
Figure 5 - Methodological scheme for conducting a tourist route
On the route the leader uses the following methodological techniques for travel information:
Announcement- reception of information that is used by the manager most often along the route. Announcements are made during the preliminary gathering of the group, for example, about the departure time of the train, during the trip - about the places of transport stops, the time and place of operation of various services, and meals for tourists.
Explanation- reception of information, with the help of which tourists’ attention is focused on the features of an object, event, phenomenon, or human activity. The clarification technique should be used when children travel, in cases when the transport schedule changes, etc.
Message- reception of information, with the help of which the essential aspects of phenomena, processes, events related to the route are clarified. Thus, the leader of a tourist group, using this technique, informs tourists about the service program, interesting historical facts, and the features of serving tourists in the host country.
Reference- reception of information, with the help of which there is a concise presentation of factual material about an object or events and facts related to the topic, content of the route. This could be a certificate about excursions not planned on the route, the possibility of visiting museums, theaters, etc. etc.
Conversation- receiving information that is used by the leader when meeting with a tourist group and completing the route. There are introductory and closing conversations.
Introductory conversation The group leader conducts at the beginning of the journey. During the meeting, it is advisable to give a brief description of the route, which should reflect its specifics and main purpose.
You should tell about the sights of the places you stay along the route, memorial complexes and places associated with the lives of wonderful people, inform that before each stop you will be told in detail about the plan and theme of the excursion, the daily routine, social events, the possibility and procedure for organizing additional excursions at the expense of tourists.
The introductory conversation is the first meeting of tourists with the leader of the route, and the mood of the tourists, the authority of the leader of the tour group and the implementation of the route program largely depend on how it is conducted.
At the end of the trip, the route director must conduct final conversation. It should be organized so that tourists have the opportunity to express their impressions of the trip, complaints, wishes and suggestions (Gomilevskaya, 2002)..
The practical methodology allows the leader of the tourist group to purposefully manage the organization of all activities provided for by the route program. It provides for the active use of methods for organizing excursions, conducting social work, leisure activities, accommodation and meals for tourists during the trip.
Comprehensive service Tourists on the route are usually carried out by several performers: sending and receiving travel agencies, transport organizations, accommodation and catering establishments, excursion bureaus and leisure organizations.
Methodology of excursion services provides for scheduled excursions included in the price of the tour. And unscheduled ones, carried out additionally at the expense of tourists.
When determining the excursion program in a particular city along the route, it is also necessary to proceed from the schedule of the ship, train, opening hours of museums, and to link the topics of the excursions with the route and its name.
Social work methodology involves a rational combination of it with the daily routine and free time of tourists. The content of the activities must be linked to the main purpose of the trip.
Thus, in the modern understanding, an excursion is a methodically thought-out display of places of interest, historical and cultural monuments, which is based on an analysis of the objects in front of the sightseers, as well as a skillful story about the events associated with it. Through the excursion, knowledge and perception of the surrounding world occurs.
The methodology for drawing up a tourist route, in particular an excursion route, is very complex. A tourist is attracted not just by relaxation, by the presence of picturesque areas, sea, mountains, etc. It is always much more interesting when a trip includes excursions, where you can not only see, but also hear about some of the sights and stories of the area. Therefore, the basic rule of the methodology for conducting a tourist route is to fully satisfy all the needs of the tourist, to provide related services that justify the purpose of his trip and give him pleasure.
The successful implementation of this rule requires employees of tourism organizations to take a serious approach to the preparation of the route and its implementation.
The point is not only to prepare for each tourist route the text of travel information, an agreement for the provision of services to the tourist group, and other documents. The basis for conducting a tourist route should be a methodology that will always allow it to be carried out in an interesting, organized, and responsible manner. Here a lot depends on the leader of the tourist group. The skill of the route manager lies in the ability to connect all the activities of the service program along the route together.
