RUTI represents over 2500 enterprises of the hospitality industry

XIII convention of the Russian Union of Travel Industry was held on September 23rd, during Leisure-2011 trade fair in Moscow. The participants summed up the activity of organization for period from October 2009 up to September 2011 and laid down the basic work assignments on 2012-2013. RUTI exists for 18 years and still remains the largest enterprise association in tourist industry of the country.

40 organizations have left the union due to different reasons over the last two years and about 76 enterprises have joined RUTI. Altogether, from September 2011, 663 companies are RUTI’s direct members. Including tour operators - 328, travel agents - 127, travel agents networks - 2, branch and regional associations and unions – 33, accommodation facilities - 76, hotel networks - 2, managing companies - 5, insurance companies - 20, legal and public accountant companies - 4, exhibition companies – 14, IT-companies - 8, educational establishments - 18, museums - 2, regional organs of tourism management - 17, representative offices of foreign tourist administrations in Russia – 8, mass media – 5 and others.

Thus, taking into account the organizations, included in associations and unions, and travel agencies, incorporated in a network; RUTI represents over 2500 travel trade enterprises in 10 regional offices.

George Barzykin, the vice-president of RUTI came forward with a report on realization of the basic activities carried out in 2009-2011 and about the measures on perfection of travel business. Sergey Shpilko, the president of RUTI was talking about major problems on the market, principles of work and the strategy of the union development.

The discussion was especially active in the second half of the meeting, as it hapened to be the time when the most essential questions for the travel business came up. The conversation was touching upon travel agents dumping and its consequences; how the discounts could be dangerous; about the necessity of perfection of a particular industry law and adjusting the agent market; the problems of the travel insurance and so on.

The convention elected new board of directors, regional council and presidium of RUTI. Sergey Shpilko was selected to be the union’s president, George Barzykin and Sergey Korneev remained vice-presidents.