‘If government cannot provide control in country, how will it ensure tourists safety?
Tourism industry is trying to switch to cheap Azerbaijan and Georgia and not quite affordable Russian Crimea in the absence of Egypt and Turkey
Tourism industry market is continuing to adapt to the existing conditions. As a result, such new destinations as Georgia and Kaliningrad appear. But Russian Crimea cannot satisfy the needs of tourists: while prices on the peninsula are very high, the quality of accommodation is poor and the food is not tasty. Moreover, as experts state, the currency rate and closure of a number of destinations had a positive impact on the tourist potential of Tatarstan, which is actively developing. Nevertheless, there are problems here too. In particular, tourists complain about poor breakfasts, and participants are indignant that there is no possibility for ships to legally moor to the quay in Bolgar and Sviyazhk. These and other problems dedicated to tourism were discussed at a business brunch of Realnoe Vremya.
Turkey sells tourist packages and promises to defray expenses
According to the data of the participants of tourism, the market dropped by 50% concerning foreign tours. It was affected by not only the reduction of people's solvency but also the closure of the main cheap destinations – Turkey and Egypt. However, this fall was not a surprise. According to the director general of Persona Grata and president of the Association of Tour Agencies of Tatarstan Ramil Miftakhov, if the industry did not look at Turkey, Egypt was promised to tour operators, though no one cherished the hope that the destination would open.
'As for Egypt, it had being really expected for a long time. I visited exhibitions, we talked to our colleagues from the Federal Agency for Tourism. They say that we do expect it to happen. And it would be in summer, but no one knew it for sure,' told the president of the association. 'The professor who recently hijacked the Egyptian plane was a grand finale in the decision to ban the sale of tours to Egypt.'
Rustem Tarzimanov: 'If government cannot provide control in the country, how will it ensure tourists safety?'
Rustem Tarzimanov, sales director of Salavat City Center Tourist Bureau, supposes that the situation was artificially inflated, there also are many people of this kind in Russia. This way, Tarzimanov wanted to say that this case is not the indicator for evaluation of safety at Egyptian airports. However, at the same time, he noted that he did not support the opening of Egypt: their clients were not recommended to visit the country 1,5 year before the closure of the destination because of a slow civil war. 'If the government cannot provide control in the country, how will it ensure tourists safety?' the speaker wonders.
As for Turkey, Leonid Press, director of STEN tourism firm, noted that there were used four large tour operators in Kazan for this destination who had daily flights. Now they are substituting Turkey with Greece and Tunisia. It should be noted that a state of emergency was declared till 22 June in the latter because of terrorist attacks in 2015.
It is interesting that the authority of Turkey is ready to defray the expenses to attract tourists. This information was given by tourists who spent their holidays in the same hotel every year, according to one of the participants of the brunch. So, that hotel sent this inviting offer. What is more, the Turkish part started to offer package tours online that include transfer, accommodation and meals except flights because the sale of tours to Turkey is banned in Russia at this moment. But the participants of the brunch tell that in this case, it is doubtful whether security companies will insure Russian tourists who decided to take the opportunity.
Crimea — back to the 80s
At the same time, the representatives of tourism industry note that the market turned its face towards domestic destinations. According to the data presented by Gulnara Khusainova, director of Master Tour, 70% of tourists prefer the domestic travel, and only 30% of people want to go abroad. Domestic destinations will be very popular for holidays in May, people prefer to book tours in other countries beforehand.
And many tour agencies and operators are starting to reorient to domestic tourism. So, Coral Travel began to offer Crimea, Abkhazia. Sergei Pasechnik, director of Companion SP, supposes that good variants of holidays in Sochi have appeared now, in spite of high prices.
'I understand that that the total price in a ski hotel in Sochi won't be lower, sometimes higher, service will be worse. But no passport for travelling abroad is needed, and all people speak Russian,' the speaker thinks.
According to him, there are very cheap tours at times. However, this destination has not become mass yet. It has not turned into a reasonable package with the corresponding service.
Speaking of Crimea, prices have been raised by 30% this year. However, nothing has changed concerning the quality of services. The speakers tell that a package tour for 20,000 rubles per person can just bring you back to the 80s, in spite of the fact that the destination is considered to be one of the cheapest. A presentable hotel with meals and flight is 30-40,000 rubles per person. Apart from the high price, the problem of the quality of food arose. Rustem Tarzimanov is afraid whether there will be any good impression when people taste the food.
Speaking about positive moments, the experts noted that the transport infrastructure in Crimea became better. Last year the number of ferries grew, booking system had already existed. And it took 40 minutes to cross Kerch Strait ferry line. Ramil Miftakhov says that 3,3m tourists visited the peninsula last year. It is a bit less than the flow during 'Ukrainian' Crimea. Now Crimea is subsidized by social protection. This is why a flow of pensionaries and aided people is expected this year. Miftakhov also told that standards of accommodation of tourists were being introduced. In other words, every hotel or private sector is to obtain a qualification. 'They were given one year to adapt, and now they are seen as window dressing,' the director of Persona Grata tells.
Kazan tailored to tour standards and unprepared quays
It should be reminded that the standartization touched not only hotels and accommodation in Crimea but also analogous establishments in Kazan. Oksana Sargina, director general of Tourism Development Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan, told that local hotels are tailored to the general standards. 'A half of the market passed it, but many owners still don't understand why they should do it obligatorily,' Sargina says.
There are disadvantages in the republic besides numerous pluses that are reasonably advertised to the tourists in Tatarstan. There are difficulties with the maintenance of sanitary standards in places where tourists stay and complaints about poor breakfasts. Guests of the republic can complain to tourist quality service about all cons. All minuses are promised to be corrected.
The lack of transport for transportation of tourists is another important problem: the number of buses is reducing in crisis conditions. In particular, Burevestnik reduced its fleet from 120 to 50 buses because of the impossibility to maintain buses taken during the Universiade on lease. As Ramil Miftakhov says, if necessary, buses have to be driven from the nearest regions.
Vyacheslav Samolin: 'I'm not sure whether the quays in Bolgar and Sviyazhsk will be ready to use this year'.
One problem more connected with transport in the republic is a pending issue on the preparation of quays in Bolgar and Sviyazhsk for use, which is kept even in the Year of Water Conservation Zones.
'Last year Shaimiev found me via an interview, so you can tell him once again that I'm not sure whether the quays in Bolgar and Sviyazhsk will be ready to use this year. I cannot comment the situation in Sviyazhsk, there are more problems. As for Bolgar, I know in detail that this place was built as a land infrastructure, not water,' the director of Volzhskie Puteshestviya GC Vyacheslav Samolin.
The quays can officially be put into operation to supervisory bodies who are responsible for the work of water passenger vehicles. At this moment, ships cannot obtain the permission for mooring.
As for the realization of the potential of the republic, the director of Companion SP Sergei Pasechnik stated that there aren't any hotels on the banks of the Volga River in Tatarstan, and it is necessary to develop the natural potential of the region. Sargina agreed that every expansion of the regional tourist products and the inclusion of the nearest territories are needed. They were speaking about the intensity of the promotion of the full potential of the districts and formation of tour product in the State Committee of Tatarstan on Tourism and with the help of Aide to the President Natalia Fishman.
An office of Visit Tatarstan opened recently to help tourism in Tatarstan. It will deal with the accreditation of landmarks, launch of tourist destinations and production of branded goods.
Cheap Georgia and difficult Greece
Speaking about the Russian market of tourism in general, the speakers mentioned a number of top destinations now. They could be a partial substitution of Turkey and Egypt. So, Vietnam, Greece and countries of near abroad like Bulgaria, Montenegro and Servia are among these countries. What is more, a new cheap destination appeared. It is Georgia. It is mainly connected with Azal Azerbaijani airline that offers flights from 10,000 rubles.
However, for example, a holiday in Greece present difficulties. Ramil Miftakhov, in particular, faced a problem: the visa centre in Kazan is arranging the Greek visa during 10 workdays, and fingerprinting and preparation of documents make the work more difficult. Problems and troubles with the equipment add problems, so that tourists have to come several times to fingerprint. Meanwhile, in Moscow, all visa formalities take three days.
Alyona Surovtseva from Skyland Travel noted that there is in an increased interest in Kaliningrad among Russian destinations, Sergei Pasechnik mentioned a topic of another destination that at present is unjustly underestimated – it is a holiday in the mountains.