3. Describe hotel facilities of a very expensive hotel (p. 22 English for international tourism).

4. What does a package tour include? Why are they so popular with tourists? Persuade a client to buy a package tour.

Package holiday is the most popular way of spending a holiday especially for people with children. It is a holiday which is arranged by a company at a fixed price. The price usually includes travel expenses, accommodation, meals and sometimes entertainment. It’s very convenient because you pay once and don’t need to worry about many things during a holiday.

The first package tour was organized by Thomas Cook in England in 1841. He organized excursions from England to the European continent.

Today travel agents can offer all kinds of holidays to all types of people. If you plan a holiday I advise you to consult a travel agent. You should tell him all your needs and wants and he will offer the “right” price in the “right” country. It is very convenient and gives many advantages. Sometimes it is possible to buy a “last minute” package cheaper than the original cost.

6. Different possibilities of eating out in historical perspective ( from inns and taverns to restaurants and fast-food service)

The institutions which provide food and beverage services started long ago and have experienced long evolution. The first institutions of these kind were the Roman and Greek taverns and the medieval inns. They were usually located on the main roads to provide food, fresh horses and accommodation for couriers. They were very simple and the main dish was vegetable-and-meat stew.

Modern concept of catering facilities began to develop quickly in the 18 century. The first true restaurant was opened in Paris in 1782. The beginning of the a la carte menu took place in the USA.

6. Speak about tourism as a developing industry and the world biggest employer.

8. Why are festivals becoming a tourist attraction? Speak about Russian most popular festivals and traditions which attract tourists.

Festivals are now playing a significant role in tourism development. They became the fastest growing tourist attractions all over the world. There are events which are very popular with tourists such as carnivals in Rio and Venice, Halloween in Scotland and the USA. Most festivals are connected with traditions of the country and represent religion, sport, artistic traditions or commemorate a historical event.

Russia can also be attractive for tourists as there are colorful and unusual festivals in different regions of our country. Russia is a multinational country and each nation has its own traditions and festivals. One of them is known as Maslennitsa. It usually takes place at the end of winter when we say Good bye to winter colds and welcome the coming of spring. The common practice is to decorate the scarecrow, dance around, play games, eat pancakes with different fillings and burn the scarecrow in the end. This festival has a religious origin.

Another well-known event is associated with the great victory in the II World war in 1945. It is celebrated on the 9^th of May and means commemoration of those who died in the war. It is a public holiday. There People lay flowers near the eternal fire on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and there is a parade in Red Square in Moscow and in towns of the country where people carry flags and floats. Parades demonstrate power and strength of the country. Streets and squares are usually crowded with people of different generations. Lots of tourists come to Moscow and St. Petersburg to see the event.

One of the most popular religious holidays is Easter. It is common practice to clean the house, dye eggs, and make a special cake called kulich and kiss three times when you meet people.

Such festivals and holidays can attract tourists from different countries and can become an important sector of tourist activity as well.

As for Murmansk region, there are festivals of indigenous people of Saami in Lovozero which is held every winter. It is called Saami Games and attracts people from Finland and Norway. Tourist agencies arrange tours to Lovozero where tourist stay at a local hotel and take part in reindeer races, Saami games and try traditional meals and drinks.

9. Speak about conferences and conventions as a profitable business for hotels.

The convention business has become very profitable during the last decade. A convention or a conference guarantee a good occupancy rate for the hotel for some days. Special exhibit and meeting areas are rented for a fee and the people attending the conference also generate more business in the hotel’s restaurants, bars and shops. In many cases, the business and professional people who are members of the sponsoring group are accompanied by their families and this means still more business for the hotel. For most people a convention is a combination of pleasure and business, a chance to get away from the usual daily routine and the people attending the convention also generate more business in the restaurants, bars and shops.

Many hotels also have a special manager to handle all the arrangements which must be coordinated with the other departments and services like housekeeping, food and beverage service, the maintenance and engineering service.

The final event of many conventions is often a banquet, so experienced banquet manager and waiters should be on duty.