Why is it difficult for Russian resorts to form a stable customer base?

57% of Russians surveyed are satisfied with holidays at seaside resorts within the country. High prices and service that does not live up to expectations discourage tourists from vacationing again in a place they have visited once. As a result, the autumn flow to Russian resorts has already decreased by more than 70% over the year, and their share in the structure of tour operator sales has decreased threefold. But the excursion format of vacation within the country suits citizens to a much greater extent than the beach one.

62% of Russians are completely satisfied with vacations within the country, 31% are rather satisfied, and 7% received negative impressions, follows from a survey of 1 thousand residents of cities with a population of 100 thousand people conducted by the Makusheva and Partners agency and Online Market Intelligence ( OMI). About 57% of respondents were satisfied with their vacation in Russia, having visited seaside resorts and natural attractions. Those who chose excursion routes received more positive impressions. 73% of respondents were completely satisfied, 3% were dissatisfied. Makusheva and Partners and OMI explain that tourists who prefer to “relax in comfortable places with good service” on vacation are less satisfied.

The data obtained by sociologists is important from the point of view of forecasting sustainable tourist flow. According to Oleg Kozyrev, Marketing Director of Travelata.ru, the share of Russian resorts in the sales of tourism market participants in the summer of 2023 decreased from 23% to 15% year-on-year, while Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, on the contrary, increased. The picture is similar for November: demand on domestic routes decreased by 72% year-on-year, and their share eroded from 48% to 14%. Russians give preference to Thailand, Egypt and the UAE. “Tourists were not satisfied with their vacation last year enough to choose local resorts again,” states Mr. Kozyrev.

The founder of Makusheva and Partners, Maria Makusheva, does not exclude that part of the negative experience among tourists at local resorts arose from expectations that they would be able to receive the same all-inclusive service as at Turkish ones.

22% of respondents are not satisfied with their vacation due to the discrepancy between price and quality, she notes. Oleg Kozyrev says that most often vacationers in Russia do not like the service and food in hotels, large crowds of people on beaches and amusement parks.

Negative impressions often arise due to the misconception among Russians that vacations within the country must certainly be cheaper than abroad, says Sergei Romashkin, vice-president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. “But the cost of accommodation at local resorts is very differentiated: in the summer in Sochi you can find a place for 700 rubles. per night, and for 20 thousand rubles. per day,” he notes. In the case of Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to Mr. Romashkin, the problem is not so acute: “Few people expect that prices in hotels in these cities will be very different from European cities.”

Managing partner of Ivashkevich Hospitality Stanislav Ivashkevich considers the inflated cost of accommodation on the Black Sea coast a problem: rates in branded hotels are overpriced by 50%.

A large number of negative reviews, according to the expert, leads to tourists trying to avoid the Black Sea coast. According to Travelata.ru, the average bill when booking a tour within the country in November is 52.4 thousand rubles, which is 31% more year-on-year. At the same time, tours to Thailand during this period increased in price by 11%, to an average of 233.2 thousand rubles.

According to the survey results, Turkey was named the preferred holiday destination by 12% of respondents, Crimea – 11%, Maldives – 10%, UAE and Sochi – 9% each. In the first place among travelers is Baikal, which is chosen as a priority destination by 15% of respondents.

Alexandra Mertsalova