Russian domestic tourism may resume from July

Domestic tourism in Russia may resume in July, but the country’s resorts will have to reduce prices by 20-40% in order to attract visitors after the pandemic, the CEO of tour operator Intourist Victor Topolkaraev has said.

“If the situation with coronavirus will go on a positive scenario, the domestic tourist market could revive in June-July – most likely in July. Tourism will return in the fall and winter. And we must understand that from the moment the market opens, people will be in at least a month-long ‘swing’,” he said during an online conference.

According to Topolkaraev, Russian resorts are likely to offer significantly lower prices to attract tourists after the pandemic.

“The problem with our resorts is the very short season, and they are forced to put high prices to 3-4 months of the season to earn for the whole year. But they need to lower prices by 20-40% to stimulate the market,” the expert said.

In his opinion, after the opening of the domestic market in Russia, the coastal resorts of Sochi, Crimea, and the sea of Azov could be popular with Russians. There are also good prospects for the Baltic sea resorts, he added.

“I think that after the pandemic, the structure of domestic tourism will change. If earlier it was mostly families with children, now it is more likely to be young people under 30 years because families will need some time to overcome the fear of traveling,” Topolkaraev said.

According to him, the popularity of air travel may decrease, and people will travel more often by car.

“Tourists will save. Airlines need to reduce prices by 20-30% on flights in Russia, to get people interested. Many carriers have already launched their promotions, they understand that it is necessary to stimulate demand,” he added.