Russia is great, and there is where to relax – Newspaper Kommersant No. 238 (7439) of 12/22/2022

Due to state support programs, reduced rates for accommodation in hotels in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the growing popularity of excursion routes and reduced competition from foreign destinations, the segment of organized tours within the country managed to increase sales by 10-20%. The only problematic region for tour operators was Crimea, where the flow of organized tourists decreased by 30–80% over the year. Next year, the growth of domestic tourism will be 10-15%, market participants expect.

The growth in sales of organized tours in Russia in 2022 amounted to 16% year-on-year, according to the tour operator Alean. Sergey Romashkin, the general director of the Dolphin tour operator, points out that, excluding Crimea, sales of his company increased by 20%, and 10% if taken into account. The representative of Intourist, Daria Domostroyeva, indicates that the operator has recorded a positive trend in all regions, with the exception of Crimea. Fun & Sun indicate that the number of tourists sent around the country has almost doubled, to about 500 thousand people. Vice-President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Dmitry Gorin believes that sales of tours in the country have grown by 15% over the year.

The organized segment of domestic tourism has grown significantly this year due to the existing cashback programs and subsidizing charter flights around the country, Mr. Gorin notes. According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Economy, the total domestic tourist flow this year will be 61 million people, which is 9% higher year-on-year. Dmitry Gorin believes that about 20% of Russians buy tours around the country. Sergey Romashkin estimates the share of organized travelers in the domestic flow at 40-45%, while in 2019 it was about 35%.

The flow of tourists to Crimea, according to Alean, has decreased by more than 30% this year, the region has become the only one showing a negative trend. Another interlocutor of Kommersant in the market says that he recorded a drop of 55%. Another Kommersant source noticed a reduction in organized tours to Crimea by 80% year-on-year. The collapse in demand this year is due to the restrictions on air traffic that have been in force since the end of February and the fears of travelers, the interlocutors of Kommersant indicate.

Tour operators call the Krasnodar Territory the largest organized market. In “Alean” indicate that the demand for holidays in Sochi this year has increased by 30%, in “Intourist” they say about 40%. In the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, according to “Alean”, the tourist flow increased by 47% over the year. Daria Domostroeva also points to a general increase in interest in sightseeing trips to the Caucasus.

Moscow and St. Petersburg this year formed about 40% of the domestic tourist flow, according to Alean. Ms. Domostroyeva points out that for many travelers, destinations have become an alternative to short European trips. The underloading of hotels due to a shortage of foreign tourists has led to a reduction in tariffs for the tourist industry. “In the fall, there were weekend tours to Moscow with two overnight stays in a four-star hotel worth 4,000 rubles,” Daria Domostroyeva gives an example. Although, in general, the cost of sightseeing trips to Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to Alean, has increased by 10-20% this year.

At the same time, according to Alean, a noticeable increase (by 50-60%) was observed in excursion and ecological tours to the Urals, Baikal and Siberia. “On such trips, Russians often use the services of tour operators,” says Sergei Romashkin.

Tour operators hope for growth in 2023 as well. Thus, Alean expects an increase of 10-15%. Sergei Romashkin points out that at the moment the demand for summer programs in the framework of early booking campaigns exceeds last year by 80%. But in December, tour operators sell about 10% of the summer volumes. The number of state support measures next year may be reduced. Thus, funding for the tourist cashback program has not yet been provided.

Alexandra Mertsalova