"Getting there by land": experts told about the prospects for tourism in the new realities

The tourism industry in Russia, not having had time to recover from the crisis caused by the pandemic, faced new restrictions. Read about what may be the new summer season and what are the prospects for overseas travel now in the article "Made in Russia".

SCHRODINGER'S HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS

According to Alexander Osaulenko, director of the Association "Turpomoshch", vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, by the time the Russian military operation in Donbass, after which it began to close the airspace of countries, the number of Russian citizens abroad (EU, Caribbean countries, Egypt and Turkey) was about 150 thousand people.

"During this period, of course, a serious number of organized tourists still managed to get to the homeland through third countries, but so far a large number of people are in the Caribbean - just over 10 thousand," he said.

According to him, a large part of tour operators decided to export tourists through third countries on their own due to the lack of humanitarian corridors. "That is, they have decided that they don't have to wait for anything, but have to take everything into their own hands, and we tell them what options are possible," said the expert.

Yuri Barzykin, vice-president of Russian Union of Travel Industry, chairman of CCI RF Committee for Entrepreneurship in Tourism, commenting on the situation, said that the experience of the pandemic now largely gives guidelines for action. In addition, the number of citizens who cannot return to their home country is now much smaller.

"Despite the fact that the number of risks in this situation is higher, the total volume is times less than last year, when more than 200 thousand people had to be exported because of covid restrictions. Someone had time to fly around - the logistics were complicated there: via the Baltic States or Belarus. But these volumes are not large, they will all be taken out one way or another," he assured.

The expert noted that the sale of tours has been stopped - there is only the export. "Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico - all tourists will be taken away. Yes, there are risks and problems, but they are absolutely solvable, it's not a state of emergency. There were delays in Egypt due to changed routes and it takes longer to get there, but tourists arrive there and from there all the same," he said.

OPPORTUNITIES and OPPORTUNITIES

Forecasting the further development of events, Osaulenko notes that there will be no discussion of the closure of borders for citizens of the Russian Federation.

"Closing the airspace does not mean closing the borders. Where there is no need to fly through third countries, one can reach by land: there are buses and railway transport," he said.

The expert reminded that visas for Russians are still issued. "So you can go through third countries (and that includes the CIS countries) by rail. Borders will be opened. The same Italy had to do it since March 1, Bulgaria, Greece. Europe's losses are counted not even in tens but in hundreds of billions, and not in rubles. Nobody is going to burn these economic bridges," he emphasized.

According to Barzykin, the situation may change by the summer. "The first stage is in May. By the summer season, the Mediterranean will start lobbying their interests - Cyprus, Italy, Greece. Bulgaria. The operation situation will be more or less resolved. Seeing how others will skim the cream, they will not wait, even for the sake of solidarity," he said confidently.

At the same time, he urged tourists to be cautious about traveling abroad.

"It is necessary to pay attention to the recommendations of Rostourism. Where there are flight programs, sanctions, it is not recommended to go there. Because even in humanitarian corridors - denied. The meaning of sanctions is that it is painful and difficult, because why should we let ourselves be hurt, "- said Barzykin.

DOMESTIC TOURISM

Osaulenko noted that the Russian authorities intend to continue stimulating domestic tourism. "This year, 1.2 billion rubles have already been set aside to subsidize domestic transportation, within the framework of domestic tourism," - he said.

Barzykin noted that the matter concerns the support of air carriers and tour operators. "Of course, these costs - both on domestic flights, when we had to return tourists, and on export flights from abroad. Right now, at the peak, when the number of returns is increasing, prices have doubled or more, but then they will normalize. May be there will be some increase because there will be a narrow "neck", but it will not be critical. And in the domestic direction there will certainly be subsidizing", - he stressed.

According to experts' estimates, the prices of domestic travel may grow within the inflation rate.

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Made in Russia // Made in Russia

Author: Maria Buzanakova