Results-2017: Why Russians like Crimea

34

Итоги-2017: Почему россияне разлюбили Крым

The number of tourists to the Republic for 2017 decreased by almost 5%, and the volume of tourist services fell by a third. At that, Crimean officials are trying to keep a good mine at bad game.

To save tourists

The Minister of resorts and tourism of Crimea Vadim Volchenko summed up the preliminary results of the holiday season of 2017. According to him, during the year, the Republic was visited by nearly 5.3 million tourists. This figure is slightly lower than last year: then in the Crimean resorts rested 5.5 million people (21.6% more than it was in 2015, but 4.6% more than in 2017).

Evaluation of tourist flow is made according to the border checkpoints passengers: the airport of Simferopol, the ferry and the border. According to Volchenko, among the guests by order of the Ministry of tourism conducted a sociological survey which showed that 81% of tourists intend to return to the Republic on holiday again.

Direct tax revenues from the resort and tourism industry in the budget of the Crimea it is known, only three quarter of 2017 — they amounted to 1.6 billion rubles (8.3% more than in the same period last year).

According to Vadim Volchenko, this indicates the effectiveness of management of tourism resources in the country. At the same time, however, the Minister is aware that a significant part of the Spa business continues to remain “in the shadows” — that is, taxes brings. And next year the Ministry of tourism intends to develop an economic model to calculate the synergistic effect from tourism (including the excise increase on fuel taxes from the sphere of trade and public catering).

Grow investment in the resort and tourism industry: the business is interested in the creation of new accommodation facilities. So, today in Crimea can simultaneously accommodate nearly 210 thousand (162 thousand in hotels and 48 thousand — in health centers). During the year opened six new hotels and renovated (with the increase of number Fund) more than 50 lodges.

What fired Minister

At the same time, however, the Minister Vadym Volchenko did not mention the fact that the volume of paid tourist services decreases. But this inevitably indicates Rosstat: in 2017 the amount of the rendered services of travel agencies and tour operators fell by 32.5% and sanatorium-resort organizations — 11.6%.

From this we can draw a simple conclusion: in the Crimea, falls not only tourists, but also the amount of money that each of them left on vacation.

What was the geography of tourist arrivals this year, Vadim Volchenko not yet told. But you can draw an analogy with last year’s figures, which were announced by the Minister (former, resigned in July) Sergei strelbitskiy.

According to him, most of all visitors (46%) rested on the southern coast of the Crimea, 31% – on the West coast and 19% on the East coast. The average occupancy of operating the Spa and hotel facilities were, according to Strelbitskogo in 2016 16%.

Strelbitskogo, recall, sacked the Crimean head Sergey Aksenov, criticized him for the fact that in the midst of the summer season the beaches of the Peninsula were not ready to receive tourists from 265 beaches received positive sanitary-and-hygienic conclusion only a third.

Surely, the activities of the Minister it and a lot of other claims. And they also repeatedly said his successor Vadim Volchenko: dissatisfied with the Minister the fact that the Crimea is a beach resort that is filled only in the summer. We need to develop other types of tourism — event, ethnographic, gastronomic…

Among the other problems of the industry Volchenko said the high cost of tickets (peak season flights from Moscow to Simferopol costs from 20 to 30 thousand rubles), the lack of flying in the Crimea aviaiton, low level of service on the background of high prices and the lack of work on the creation of a positive image of the Peninsula.

“Crimea mediascreen. That our palaces, sun Temple, Grand canyon, Oucom — this is no one knows except the Crimean people and a very small part of the population of Russia, which loved Crimea had,” says Volchenko.

Expert: the main problem is managers

What are the prospects of Russian and, in particular, Crimean, tourism in 2018? This “Free press” talked to the Director of the sanatorium “Knowledge” (Sochi) Dmitry Bogdanov.

“SP”: — Dmitry, in your opinion, which directions of domestic and foreign tourism will be a priority in 2018, given the complexity of the economic and political conditions?

— The most popular in 2018, in my opinion, will remain the same direction as in the past year. On “leaving” Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, to a lesser extent, Italy and Spain, and in the winter season for Thailand. In the country is Sochi and other resorts of the Krasnodar region, the Crimea, and, of course, Moscow and Saint Petersburg

By the way, our Russian citizen gets used to travel to his native country and no longer speaks in the sense that everything is bad at home and abroad are all right — there, and there are good examples and not so good…

I think that the number of tourists will not fall, but the average bill in 2018, will gradually decrease and the revenues of hotels, travel agencies and catering will also be reduced (although even now, many businesses are operating at a loss)

“SP”: — what kind of niche tourism will develop first of all? For example, the head of the Federal tourism Agency Oleg Safonov called on the Russian resorts to develop a system of “all inclusive” and child tourism…

— According to my observations, the growing popularity of vouchers with treatment in sanatoriums of Russia — as soon as the prices become a little more accessible, so once sales are growing rapidly. But most of the resorts are not yet ready to give the best service too sanatoriums used to working with large customers and individual guest are not yet so significant! But there are some nice examples. By the way, Sochi is the most inexpensive in terms of permits with treatment.

Active will increase and so-called outdoor-Hiking — trekking, rafting, Hiking and everything… affordable, and available to many, interesting and now all you can do on a fairly steep European level.

But from organizing children’s visits a refuse — too strong oversight of the state and the requirements are too strict.

“SP”: — As suggested, what are the main challenges and constraints for tourism development will bring in 2018?

The main limitation to the whole sphere of tourism are, first, lack of qualified managers in tourism (from both business and the state), and secondly, high prices for services in the field of tourism (air travel and rail travel, hotels, buses and catering), and thirdly, low level of incomes.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here