2017 WU OC introduces Recommended by Universiade 2017

ALMATY – In the framework of the 2017 Winter Universiade, the programme ‘Recommended by Universiade 2017’ was launched in Almaty. All representatives of hotel and restaurant business sectors of the city are invited to take part.

Altogether, there are 137 hotels and 2,000 units of foodservice in Almaty. The key point of the programme is to grant hotels, cafés and restaurants with a status of partner of the Universiade. In order to become a partner, it is needed to satisfy specific criteria. According to the head of the department of tourism and foreign relations of the city of Almaty Timur Duisengaliyev, a selection of the Universiade partners will start from 7 November. “It is an absolutely voluntary programme. We consider the Winter Universiade as an opportunity to improve profitability of the tourism market. The evaluation committee will be comprised of representatives of the tourism sector, state authorities and the public. It will be a sort of quality mark”, noted Timur Duisengaliyev.

The criteria for evaluation are formed together with the Kazakhstan Tourist Association and The Alliance of Restaurateurs. All requirements and samples of applications will be published on the official website of the Kazakhstan Tourist Association.

As the Head of the Winter Universiade Organizing Directorate Nail Nurov explained that any hotel, restaurant or snackbar can take part in the programme regardless of its status or scale. “The Universiade are student games. Their philosophy implies maximum democracy. That is why we do not focus on five star hotels, but on budget hotels, hostels and inexpensive cafes. Everyone is welcome to participate. The key point is that everything must be maximum quality and safe. Clean, beautiful and comfortable”, Nail Nurov explained. He said that the partners will receive a plate and certificate and will have an opportunity to use Universiade patterns in the decorations of their open spaces. The Organizing Directorate will include those hotels and restaurants in the official guidebook, which will be delivered to the members of the delegations staying in the Athletes’ Village, as recommended places during the games. So, apart from status, partners may have a good flow of visitors during the Universiade which will be staged from 29 January to 8 February, 2017. The organizers expect about 3,000 participants from over 50 countries.

(Source: OC Almaty 2017)