300 trips for Saint-Petersburg children

Address for The Governor of Saint-Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2003. The Anniversary has been placed on UNESCO's list of memorable dates. This will be an event of international importance. The Federal Commission for Celebration is headed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

I would like to ask the National Tourism Boards to consider participation in the project "300 trips for Saint Petersburg children", organized by the North-West Division Office of the Russian Union of Travel Industry. The project is supported by the city administration of Saint Petersburg.

The countries and regions that would like to become partners in the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Northern Capitol of Russia, may do so by inviting Saint Petersburg children for free trips in 2003. The project will receive extensive coverage from leading mass media of Saint Petersburg and Russia, which will help to promote the countries and regions as favorable places for tourism.

I strongly believe that participation in the project not only will become an event of high social meaning, but also will facilitate the development of good relations between our countries and regions.

The Governor of Saint-Petersburg
Vladimir Yakovlev

Invitation for cooperation

Dear Sirs!

The Russian Union of Travel Industry is happy to greet you. We would like to ask you for possible cooperation with one of our projects, and possibly forward this information to your members.

As a part of the celebration program of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg, the North-West Division Office of the Russian Union of Travel Industry has initiated the project "300 Trips for Saint Petersburg Children".

The project is the contribution from tourism industry of Russia to the celebration of the city's anniversary. It is our gift to the city. Within the project, underprivileged Saint Petersburg children are traveling and staying in comfortable hotels of different countries and Russia's regions for free, which allows them to participate in the celebration and remember the anniversary for years to come. The children that we mean are orphans, children of military whose parents were killed at work, handicapped children.

At this point, about 70 children have traveled to different destinations within our program, and we have secured agreements for about 250 trips more. Even though we mean the project as a part of the anniversary celebration, we hope that it will still continue after the year 2003.

We believe that not only is the project an event of a great social meaning, but it also facilitates the development of good relationships between the countries and regions. The advertising and information effect of the project also facilitates active promotion of the participating countries. We have organized a massive media coverage for the project, including TV, radio, press, street billboards. All participants receive substantial media attention and good promotion opportunities.

We also offer special advertising opportunities to our participants - tour operators and countries that host our children. One of the opportunities is hosting a crew of a youth series "OBZ" - it is a popular Russian series. We offer our participants to organize filming of two episodes of the series, providing transportation and accommodation for the crew - 14 young actors and 6 adult members. Producers of the series guarantee placement (in two original series and two reruns) of participant's logo (10 seconds) as well as written thank-you message in the final credits of the episodes. Besides, the participating company will take part in the script - the companies transport, office and directors will be pictured in the episodes.

There is another advertising possibility as well. The participants may host a filming crew of three people (anchor, operator, assistant) for three-four days, together with the underprivileged children within our project. The crew will film several TV-reports about children's trips. The reports will be shown in news programs of relative TV-channels and in the film about the project in the end of 2003.

We invite foreign tour operators to join our project and organize free trips for children from the categories mentioned above. For some of them this might be the only opportunity to travel at this point; others in their young lives have already faced the tragedy of losing a parent. We try to give them an opportunity to see the world, but we need help. We appreciate any possible assistance.

We hope for your cooperation and help with our project.

Best regards,
Sergei Korneyev.

The Russian Union of Travel Industry
Vice-president, Director of the North-West Division Office

Media plan

The project by the North-West Division Office of the Russian Union of Travel Industry

PROJECT COVERAGE

date	event	participants	media
End of April	Press-conference (official launch of the project)	The Governor of Saint-Petersburg V. Yakovlev Vice-governor I. Potekhina Vice-president, director of the NW Division office of the Russian Union of Travel Industry S. Korneyev representatives from tour operators/participants	All TV radio Print press
Two-three days	Interactive TV survey (selection of the kids)		St. Petersburg TV
May	Taking off and returning of the first several groups of children	representatives from tour operators/participants	TV Radio Print press
01.06.03 (In Russia - the Children's Day)	Handing-out of the certificates for the trips	The Governor of Saint-Petersburg S. Korneyev Consulates' and Embassies' representatives Tour operators/participants	All TV radio Print press
Summer	Taking off and returning of groups (2-3)	S. Korneyev Representatives from tour operators/participants	TV radio Print press
Summer	3 trips for TV crews		TV
Midsummer	Interview	S. Korneyev	"Inversia" TV program
Summer	Filming of 2 - 3 episodes of the "ОБЖ" series (kids' show)	Representatives from tour operators/participants	TV
			TV "Children's news"
During the project	Report about project developing	Tour operators/participants	FM radio stations
	interview	S. Korneyev	"Europe Plus" and "Mayak" radio
December 2003	Final press conference	S. KorneyevThe Governor of Saint-Petersburg Tour operators/participants	TV Radio Print press

Outdoor advertising during the whole year.