Trans-Siberian Express Educational Seminar

More than a train ride

The Trans-Siberian is not simply a train journey from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar. It is a journey across a continent, through changing landscapes, cities, cultures, histories, and ways of life.

For me, that is what makes this journey so special. You do not simply arrive at a destination. You experience the distance between places. You watch the world change outside your window, meet people along the way, and begin to understand just how large and diverse this part of the world really is.

In this seminar, we will take the Trans-Siberian from something many of us have on our Bucket List and turn it into a journey we can better understand, and perhaps one day actually take.

What will we talk about?

What is a normal day aboard the Trans-Siberian really like? Where do you sleep? What do you eat? Who do you meet?

Which stops should be part of the journey, and why? What is it really like to see Lake Baikal? When is the best time to go? And perhaps most importantly, what should you know before deciding whether this journey is for you?

These are not questions we will answer from a brochure.

Atilla Tuna will take us along the route through his own photographs, stories, and years of firsthand experience.

Your guide: Atilla Tuna

Atilla Tuna is an art historian, professional tour guide, and founder of Antonina Turizm in Istanbul.

For years, he has personally planned and led journeys along the Trans-Siberian route. That experience matters. He knows the journey not only as a route on a map, but through the places, people, stories, and unexpected moments that make travel memorable.

Organized by Dr. John Ümit Palabıyık

I am Chair of the Management & Business IT Department and Coordinator of the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program at Framingham State University.

After more than 25 years in the hospitality and tourism industry, and now as an educator and researcher, I have come to believe in a very simple idea:

The more we learn, the more we want to travel. And the more we travel, the more we learn.

That is the philosophy behind this seminar.

Who is this for?

Perhaps the Trans-Siberian has been on your Bucket List for years. Perhaps you have thought about it but never seriously considered making the journey. Or perhaps you are simply curious about what it would be like to cross this enormous part of the world by train.

You do not need to be ready to book a ticket.

You only need to be curious.

Hospitality and tourism students, industry professionals, travelers, and anyone who simply wants to learn more about the world are welcome.

Why the Trans-Siberian?

I have always believed that real travel is a form of education.

When we truly travel, we learn history and geography. We experience different cultures, cuisines, traditions, and ways of life. We meet people we otherwise would never have met. Sometimes we discover something familiar thousands of miles from home. And sometimes, without even realizing it, we begin to understand ourselves a little better.

We leave home as one person and, if we travel with curiosity, we return a little different, hopefully better.

The Trans-Siberian represents that kind of journey particularly well because the journey itself becomes part of the destination.

And a journey like this deserves to be understood before it is taken. That is why firsthand experience matters. Antonina Turizm has spent years planning and leading Trans-Siberian journeys, and this seminar gives us an opportunity to learn from that experience.

Join us

Wednesday, September 30 at 2:30 PM Boston time
9:30 PM Istanbul time

Online and complimentary. Presented in English.

After registering, you will receive the Zoom link by email.

A Turkish-language session of the same seminar will take place on Sunday, September 27.

Space is limited. It is recommended to reserve your place early.

Remember! “Travel is education. Education is a journey.”

Come with your questions, your curiosity, and perhaps a new destination to add to your Bucket List.