Column by Alexandra Mertsalova about new challenges for the tourism industry

The feasibility of the all inclusive system, which became a symbol of resort holidays in the early 2000s, is increasingly being questioned in one of its key markets – Turkey. The President of the Association of Hoteliers and Tour Operators of the Mediterranean, Kaan Kavaloglu, stated the need to abandon this system. According to the Turkish publication Turizm Gazetesi, the idea is supported by some hotel chains, pointing to significantly increased costs and, as a result, more expensive holidays that are losing competitive advantages. The position is quite logical: inflation in Turkey is above 60% for the second year in a row.

But in Russia, statements by Turkish businesses about the possible cancellation of all inclusive cause a pronounced negative reaction. “About 15 years ago, a holiday with children in Turkey was ideal. We drove calmly and enjoyed ourselves. Now prices are going up, service is going down. Türkiye, goodbye! — one of the users of the industry portal Tourdom commented on the news. Even the Turkish ambassador to Russia had to calm down. “There will be opportunities for all-inclusive accommodation,” Tanju Bilgic told TASS.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia in its Telegram channel indicated that the all inclusive system is not regulated by the state, it is impossible to cancel it, and “all discussions on this matter in the Russian media are incorrect presentation and information “hype” in the headlines.” Although market participants do not deny: hotels are actively introducing new formats that do not include, in particular, “unlimited alcohol.”

The painful reaction of the tourism industry is often more emotional than that of tourists. And it’s easy to understand. The importance of the Turkish market for the tour operator and agency business is difficult to underestimate: this year, according to Travelata.ru, the country generated 43% of the total sales of organized tours. For comparison: the share of its closest competitor, Egypt, is only 16%. But in physical terms, the dynamics of demand for trips to Turkey cannot be called impressive. In the first nine months of the year, according to local authorities, a total of 5.2 million Russians visited the country. This is 12.5% ​​lower than the pre-crisis 2019 figure. Reformatting all inclusive in popular hotels next season in this situation is a new challenge for the Russian tourism industry.

The number of trips to the more expensive Thailand over the 11 months of the year has recovered by more than 90% to “pre-Covid” values, and according to the results of 2023, according to market participants, it has every chance of exceeding them. Quite positive dynamics can be seen in the UAE market. Only the volume of organized flow in both cases is noticeably lower than in Turkey. This will probably force the Russian tourism industry as early as next year to remember the folk wisdom about the inadvisability of putting all your eggs in one basket.