Speaking of great programs across Europe and the world, in Russia kids can use concessional travel on trains at half the normal price beginning July 1st. Some 2.5 million Russian children aged 10 to 17 years will benefit according to the head of the Federal Tourism Agency Oleg Safonov.
Speaking at the VII Passenger forum, Safonov told reporters of the importance of railway transport, and of rail’s importance for developing tourism overall. The minister said train transport is of the most popular ways of delivery of tourists to places of recreati , and he pointed out that Russia has one of the world’s largest networks of Railways that makes available to travelers the most remote regions of the country.
“It is very important, the role of Railways in the development of children’s tourism especially. With the active assistance of Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets and the head of the government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev last year, an agreement was reached with JSC “Russian Railways” that created the 50% discount for children aged 10 to 17 years”.
He went on to assure Russian Railways that the discount would continue as before. In 2016 the program served 2.5 million young people, he said. “As we assured our colleagues from Russian Railways, such discount will continue for young tourists this year. Last season it was used by more than 2.5 million children,” he said.
Russia is second only to the United States in for the extent of her railroads having been named “one of the economic wonders of the 19th, 20th, and 21st century”. Russian Railways accounts for fully 2.5% of Russia’s GDP and employs over 800,000 people nationwide.