On 28 May 2018, the Government of the Penza region held a briefing devoted to the issues of security, lower language barriers, accessible information resources, meals and accommodation, as well as transport services for the guests of the international football tournament.
According to Yury Denisov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Penza Region, the reserve training facility on the basis of Zenit Football Club is ready to welcome the participating team of the World Cup, if required. At the moment, it is not selected as such platform. The renovation of Zenit Stadium was completed, the decision to put it into operation was made and the sports venue was assessed in line with the safety requirements. It is planned to issue a safety certificate before 1 June.
Some games within the World Championship will be held not far from Penza, in Saransk, Samara, and Nizhny Novgorod.
The Penza region will host the fans of the FIFA World Cup. 53 hotels are able to accommodate 3489 guests at once. Currently, 1,872 people have made reservation for rooms in 23 hotels, and according to collective data from hospitality units, 1,804 of them are foreign fans.
To coordinate work with the guests of the World Championship, the Government of the Penza region is creating a call centre comprising the representatives of relevant departments and agencies, volunteer interpreters. The centre will operate on a 24-hour basis.
Ivan Belozertsev commended the establishment of the call centre and directed to test its activities in the mode of simulated situations in which fans may find themselves during their stay in the region. He stressed the importance of creating warm and welcoming atmosphere and giving foreign and Russian fans the opportunity not only to enjoy football games, but also to visit cultural facilities in the Penza region.
“We should be prepared for various contingencies, when it will be necessary to provide assistance to our guests, whether medical or information. The whole range of tourist services should be available to fans who will arrive in our region,” the governor specified.
