Association of Tour Operators of Russia: 2021 could be a record year in domestic tourism
Maya Lomidze, Executive Director of ATOR at the online conference Travelpayouts Affiliate Summit said that only in 11 popular tourist regions of the Russian Federation the total tourist flow over the past 9 months amounted to 58 million trips (part of the data is known for six months, and in fact the figure is more).
In some regions, indicators are comparable to the level of 2019, in Crimea, pre-pandemic indicators are exceeded by 25%.
Many regions faced problems of lack of infrastructure and personnel in the tourism and hotel industries against the backdrop of increased demand.
Factors that affected the increased domestic demand are not only closed borders, but also the program of tourist cashback, as well as charters on Russian routes.
Against the background of increased demand, especially strengthened in the premium segment (due to the closure of many foreign destinations, prices for accommodation and services increased in Russian hotels and sanatoriums).
This was reflected in the growth of revenue of Russian accommodation facilities in the second quarter of 2021: depending on the type and category of the object (hotels, hostels, sanatoriums, etc.), similar figures for 2019 were exceeded by 11.3-13.6%.
The total profitability of the tourism industry fell by at least 40%.
The margins of domestic tourism for tour operators are still low – for most companies, revenues from this type of business barely allow to maintain profitability. High-margin inbound tourism in Russia as an industry and type of business is almost absent.
By the end of 2021, the volume of tourist traffic in traditionally popular resort and excursion regions of Russia may exceed the pre-pandemic indicators of 2019 by +20%, and the year may become a record for domestic tourism.
In 2022, the high popularity of domestic tourism in the Russian Federation is predicted, but price declines in Russia should not be expected: a pandemic and its specific economy with high costs and the impossibility of long-term planning will dictate the growth of tariffs.
Source: atorus