The number of tourists is not decreasing a. In tourist capitals the number of tourists is not decreasing. Easier to burn calories

The number of people arriving from the Russian Federation to EU countries has fallen sharply, as stated by the European Travel Commission (ETC). According to the organization's experts, in 2015, the flow of tourists from Russia to the EU countries will depend on the decline in GDP, inflation rates, the weakening of the ruble, lower oil prices and the ongoing Ukrainian conflict. Considering the forecasts, the number Russian tourists this year is unlikely to increase.

For some European countries This is, of course, a sensitive loss, but overall in 2015 European tourism experienced consistent, stable growth due to successful marketing activities in all areas. The results for the first months of 2015 indicate a positive start to the tourist season and an increase in demand for travel services, along with the recovery of the region’s economy, the organization’s report on the results of the first quarter says. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects global tourism to grow by an average of 3 to 4% in 2015, following a 4.7% increase in 2014. European tourism, according to ETC forecasts, will keep pace with global tourism and will grow on average by the same amount.

However, experts agree that some European countries may have economic problems due to a decrease in tourist flow from Russia. The number of Russian tourists in Europe in the first quarter of this year fell by 30% compared to the same period in 2014. At the same time, the decline in Russian tourist flow affected almost all countries in the region. “The only two European destinations that showed an increase in Russian tourist flows in January-March this year are Montenegro and Romania,” the ETC report notes. At the same time, an outflow of tourists is observed even in such traditional Russian markets as Türkiye and Estonia.

The fall in the flow of Russian tourists to the EU has been talked about for several days now. Thus, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), in the first quarter of this year the number of Russian tourists in such popular country for our citizens, like the Czech Republic, decreased by almost half. The number of tourists decreased by 47.8%, overnight stays - by 47.7%. Due to this situation, transport companies whose business is related to the transportation of tourists are also suffering. For example, the German tour operator Nicko Cruises, which organized cruises on European rivers, announced the start of bankruptcy proceedings. The company explains its decision by the crisis in Russia and Ukraine, which led to a sharp drop in demand for river cruises and, as a result, a reduction in the company’s liquidity.

However, ETC believes that the situation is not so pessimistic: Russian ruble began to grow and today “is considered one of the best-performing currencies of 2015, albeit from a weaker starting position.” The coming months will demonstrate how possible it is to level out the fall of the Russian outbound tourism, the organization said in a statement. In the meantime, the European tourism market has to survive using its own resources: double-digit growth in the number of tourists at the intra-European level included Iceland (+31.4%), Croatia (+24.6%), Montenegro (+23.2%), Romania ( +13.1%), Hungary (+12.1%), Slovenia (+11.7%), Austria (+11.4%) and Serbia (+11%).

Against this background, the interest of Russian tourists in domestic directions. Demand for domestic tourism will grow, especially in the direction of Sochi. The overall demand for 4 and 5 star hotels may jump this year by up to 40%, tourism revenues by more than 50% (due to the additional influx of tourists from other countries), expects TeleTrade analyst Alexander Egorov. At the same time, the average bill will most likely increase by at least 15% to 4.8-5 thousand rubles for a day’s stay.

Asian countries remain popular for Russians, although the flow of tourists there, as well as to Europe, has fallen. The overall drop in demand for tour packages over the year was 40-50%. Thus, RBC reports, in Cambodia in the first months of 2015, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism, the flow of tourists from the Russian Federation amounted to about 18.3 thousand people - 51% less than the same period of the previous year. In January - March, 95.8 thousand Russian citizens visited Vietnam, thereby representing a 27% drop. In 2014, the flow of Russians to Thailand fell by 8.6%, continuing to decline in 2015. The number of tourists visiting the Philippines in January fell by 12%.

The share of Russian tourists did not exceed 6% of the total European flow even in the calm year of 2013, when there was no talk of sanctions or devaluation of the ruble, says Margarita Gorsheneva, development director at QB Finance. So, she is sure that for the countries of central Europe the decrease in tourist flow from Russia will go unnoticed. By the way, it is the residents of the central EU countries, especially Germany, who form the main flows of tourists in the countries of southern Europe, Italy, Spain, and Greece, which are traditionally popular among Russians. Indeed, the expert admits, in winter the situation was somewhat different: decreased demand for ski resorts(about 45%) among Russians significantly hit the tourism industries of Austria, Germany, Italy, Andorra, but in the summer the tourist flow shifts to the south, and here the lost 30% is more than compensated by both the Europeans themselves and tourists from Asian countries (Korea and China), where the demand for holidays in Europe is growing every year.

In addition, Gorsheneva emphasizes, -30% for the first quarter is not so much when compared with forecasts at the beginning of the year, when they talked about 40-45%. A strengthened ruble coupled with a rather weak euro has already begun to contribute to the growth of demand for holidays in Europe, and it is possible that this influence will allow the decline in demand to be reduced to -20% by the end of the second quarter.

Today, only Greece is fighting to actively attract Russian tourists, but it has its own geopolitical motives, in addition to financial ones. Otherwise, at the state level, with the exception of Turkey, not a single European country is taking steps to create special conditions to attract Russians specifically. Before high season There is still time, so the situation may change, but demand will already grow thanks to the strong ruble and the weakening euro.

For Russia, a decrease in tourist flow to Europe will provide an opportunity for the active development of domestic tourism. For example, quite impressive financial and resource injections into Crimea will strengthen its own tourism position. Improving the quality of service in existing hotels, as well as opening new ones, may be especially relevant for domestic tourism. Given the ambiguous situation in Europe, Kirikov predicts, tours to EU countries are unlikely to become top destinations in 2015, and the reorientation of Russian travel companies to domestic travel will be more promising than ever.

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For the first time in 15 years, Moscow took part with its stand in the international tourism exhibition EMMIT in Istanbul. According to the Chairman of the Moscow Committee for Tourism and Hotel Industry Sergei Shpilko, this is due to the fact that the number of international arrivals from Turkey through Moscow airports is growing dynamically even in conditions of crisis and economic sanctions. Over the 9 months of last year, this figure amounted to 116.9 thousand arrivals, an increase of 8.5%. At the same time, in terms of the number of international arrivals through airports in the Moscow air zone, Turkey came in third place after China and Germany.

A middle class is actively forming in Turkey, which is showing increasing demand for travel for tourism purposes. Plus, the economic and cultural ties of our countries are generally developing positively, and tourism in this sense is no exception. Moreover, Moscow is increasingly adapting its hospitality industry to the needs of tourists from different countries. Non-profit organizations carry out voluntary certification of hotels for compliance with the needs of tourists, for example Chinese ones - “Chinafriendly”, as well as certification of hotels for compliance with Halal requirements. The first such certificate was received by the Aerostar Hotel.

According to Lyubov Shiyan, Marketing Director of the Aerostar Hotel, who participated in the Moscow stand, “ Turkish market strategically important for Moscow companies and hotels due to the changed political and economic situation. The exhibition is going well, there is a lot of interest in the work of the Moscow stand, and the atmosphere is very friendly.”

According to another exhibitor, representative of the TariTur company Nikita Monakhov, manager of the sales department of the TariTur company, “The Turkish market is one of the most promising in the world.” this moment. The number of tourists from Turkey visiting Moscow has increased.” Therefore, the company opened the TariTour Byhadir office in Istanbul.

Speaking at the presentation of Moscow and Kazan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Republic of Turkey Abdurrahman Aryji said: “The number of tourists from Russia in 2014 amounted to 4 million people. It’s time for my compatriots to repay their debt of hospitality to the Russians by becoming better acquainted with their sights and cultural values.”

Moscow, according to Sergei Shpilko, who spoke at the presentation, “once again came up with proposals for price-quality ratio, which are difficult to refuse, which at this stage is facilitated by the change in the exchange rate of the ruble.” Questions from the Turkish travel industry concerned, first of all, the cost of transportation. But there are positive developments here too. Since 2013, Pegasus airline has been operating flights to Moscow using the low-cost transportation model, with ticket prices averaging $190. With the existing MoscowWeekends package offers on the market, it is quite possible to fit a stay in Moscow into an average of $300 per person.

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The completed summer season was marked by a whole series of bankruptcies of tour operators, who suffered, according to them, due to a sharp drop in demand. At the same time, Russians are no longer traveling abroad, according to statistics collected by RBC. It’s just that the number of independent tourists who do not use the services of travel agencies is growing every year.

Tour sales have fallen by a quarter since the beginning of the year, its general director Maxim Pirogov explained in mid-July the reasons for the collapse of Neva, one of the country’s oldest tour operators. The sharply decreased demand was also indicated by Labyrinth, which suspended its operations in August. It was easier for other tour operators, who also admitted their financial insolvency last season: they could refer not only to the general unfavorable economic situation, but also to the scandalous departure of other players from the market.

Thus, in September, Southern Cross announced that it could not fulfill its obligations to customers “due to a strong drop in demand for tourism product against the backdrop of the bankruptcy of a number of major tour operators.” As the president explained to RBC at the time, “ Southern Cross“Andrey Kuznetsov, after the collapse of Labyrinth, the company found itself in a situation “when there are clients at the entrance who need to be sent on an already paid vacation, and new ones who bring money do not appear.” “It’s like depositors all taking their money from a bank at once,” Kuznetsov explained.

In August, after about 37 thousand clients of Neva and Labyrinth alone were unable to take advantage of already paid tours, and many of the approximately 33 thousand tourists abroad had to be evacuated home, tour sales decreased by a quarter, the Association of Tour Operators stated Russia.

Tour retailers also confirm the decline in demand. From May to August, sales of tour packages decreased by about 20% compared to the same period last year, RBC reported in the “Chain of Last Minute Travel Stores.” In another agent network, Hot Tours, this drop was estimated at 14%.

But available foreign statistics do not confirm the decrease in tourist flow from Russia this summer. The number of Russians who visited Turkey last June, according to the Ministry of Tourism of this country, increased by 17%, to 805.3 thousand people, in July - by 20%, to 805.4 thousand. Preliminary data for August also show about growth, albeit not as large as in the previous summer months - by 6%, to 776.6 thousand Russians.

Turkey is the most popular summer destination, with which no other country can compare in terms of the number of tourists from Russia. Therefore, due to its colossal volumes, the increase in the Turkish direction will more than compensate for the decrease in tourist flow to other countries.

But other popular beach destinations have also recorded growth. The Russian tourist flow from Russia to Cyprus, according to its statistical service, in June increased by 22%, to 118 thousand people, in July - by 21%, to 116.7 thousand, in August - by 12%, to 110, 7 thousand. In the first months of summer there was an increase in the Bulgarian direction: in June - by 14%, to 152.3 thousand people, in July - by 1%, to 150.7 thousand. In August there was already a drop of 6% , up to 132.6 thousand people.

True, in the more popular destination - Spanish - there was still a decline in tourist flow. In June - by 14%, to 222 thousand Russians, in July - by only 2%, to 245.6 thousand, and in August - by 9%, to 260.1 thousand. In general, Europe is characterized by a decrease in Russian tourist flow. Since spring, the number of Russians visiting Germany, Finland, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland has been decreasing every month, according to statistics from these countries.

On most long-haul routes beach destinations growth continued this summer. Moreover, at the end of this summer, Vietnam, which showed growth of 10-36% depending on the month, became one of the countries South-East Asia more popular destination than Thailand. Vietnam was visited by 65.5 thousand Russians in June-August, Thailand - by 50.7 thousand. After several months of decline, the flow of tourists to the Indonesian island of Bali increased again in May-July.

In the Caribbean, negative dynamics were recorded this summer in Mexico. In June, the Russian tourist flow to this country decreased by 47%, to 3.4 thousand people, in July - by 34%, to 3.7 thousand. Interest in holidays in Acapulco and other Mexican resorts practically stopped growing in December 2013, the monthly increase was only 1-3%, with the exception of January, when the tourist flow increased by 7%, to 13.5 thousand people. But since May of this year, the tourist flow to Cuba has finally begun to increase, which had previously been constantly declining since November 2012. Last June, the number of Russians who visited the island immediately increased by 33%, to 4.9 thousand people, in July - by 25%, to 4.4 thousand. The tourist flow grew in June and July and in Dominican Republic- respectively by 14%, to 8.5 thousand Russians, and by 4%, to 8.3 thousand. In August there was already a decrease of 5%, to 8.7 thousand.

The overall flow of tourists from Russia is indeed growing, but at the same time the number of people going on vacation through tour operators is decreasing, explains the president of Natalie Tours, Vladimir Vorobyov. He admits that tour operators today can no longer ignore this factor.

Research into consumer preferences of Russians confirms that the number of independent tourists is increasing year by year. According to Synovate Comcon, in the first half of 2010, 24.9% of residents of cities with a population of over a million who traveled abroad at least once a year stated that they did not use the services of travel agencies; in the first half of 2012, this figure was already 28.8%. in the first half of 2014 - already 31.9%.

The number of independent tourists will continue to grow, especially after this summer season, which has seriously undermined confidence in the industry, states Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. But, she notes, Western experience shows that tour operators can retain clients by additional services, for example, offering tickets to concerts that take place near the resort, etc. Besides, mass tourist is unlikely to refuse the services of tour operators when we're talking about Lomidze says about vacationing in a country with a culture different from the Western one.

The summer season was not as successful as expected travel business Lake Teletskoye. From entrepreneurs and employees of Altai biosphere reserve there was information that the number of tourists decreased significantly last season. In general, Lake Teletskoye received approximately 15% of the regional flow.

If we talk about the seasons of the last decade, this can be called one of the weakest. According to the director of information tourist center Teletskoye Lake "Kedrogor" O. Samokhvalova, the flow decreased by 2 times. The expert admits that there is now an oversupply on the lake, as more accommodation facilities have appeared and tourists have simply spread out. Last year in the summer there were a lot of vacationers on the lake. This was easy to notice, since it was practically impossible to find a free place at the camp site. The increase in the number of vehicles caused traffic jams on the streets.

Last summer provided a similar load only on one weekend, when the Teletska Water Festival was held at the end of July. The number of sales also decreased among souvenir stall owners. At the beginning of summer there were no sales at all, while in July and August the situation evened out a little.

This assessment also came from representatives of the Altai Biosphere Reserve, which counts guests at a number of famous attractions, such as the Korbu waterfall. The location of the waterfall is convenient - on the right bank of Lake Teletskoye, just an hour’s drive from the village of Artybash. By the way, there is a boat station in the village that takes tourists on an entertaining excursion to the waterfall. It is worth noting that most travelers consider it their duty to make such a mini-trip by water transport. Moreover, 3 years ago it was possible to restore the unique motor ship “Pioneer of Altai”, which also attracts attention. Approximately 68 thousand tourists visited here last year.

Tourists have become less interested not only in the Korbu waterfall, but also in other attractions. The number of people wishing to visit the Uchar waterfall in the valley of the Chulyshman River has decreased. The problem is that the local tourism business was counting on other indicators, so it is quite difficult to accept a decrease in the flow of vacationers by almost 2 times. According to the director of the Yurtok tourism and eco-center and the head of the Teletsky ski-board club, S. Karnaukh, there is a drop, but his establishment was ready for it. Many were inspired by the rise of last year, which is why it was so difficult to accept the decline this year. Although, this situation can rather be called stabilization after last year’s rise than a decline.

Many tourists now have a difficult financial situation, so they stayed at home during the holidays. S. Zyablitsky, head of the Association tourist organizations claims that his tourist complex Manzherok has experienced a significant decline this year. July was quite hot, but tourists were still in no hurry to go, and those who came were no longer throwing money away. If previously almost everyone ordered canteen services for themselves, this year exactly the same number of tourists cooked for themselves in order to save money. They only pay for accommodation, and deal with food themselves.

It is worth noting that Teletskoye Lake suffered no more from the lack of tourists than anyone else. This region is one of the most attractive in the Altai Territory. The lake is located away from the main highway - the Chuysky tract, but this does not prevent tourists from getting to it safely. Most of accommodation facilities were built on the northern side of the lake in the villages of Iogach and Artybash. For the convenience of tourists, there are also stations located here, which are the starting point for many tourist routes.

As for the southern part of the lake, it is less developed, but this does not mean that there is no point in going there. Vacationers are attracted by the valley of the Chulyshman River, “stone mushrooms”, the Uchar water slide, as well as the difficult Katu-Yaryk pass. If you plan an excursion involving water transport, you need to cover about 80 kilometers along the lake. This will naturally lead to waste.

It is quite possible that interest in this territory will grow. Not all people can afford a holiday abroad. No matter what anyone says, holidays within the country are much cheaper than in Turkey, says O. Samokhvalova. It is not necessary to stay in the north of the lake and pay for hotel accommodation if you can travel by car to the south and have a wild holiday. In this case, people take food with them and cook their own food, and the attractions do not go away. It turns out that you can relax and see the sights practically for free.

Are you considering Lake Teletskoye as an alternative? expensive resorts? Would trade sea holiday on the river?

Winter hikes are considered to be the destiny of extreme sports enthusiasts in love with nature. But what if behind the ideological forcing of snowdrifts lie advantages and benefits available to everyone? We'll tell you why you should definitely get out into nature in winter.

Special air

In winter, there is practically no dust in the air, but the oxygen concentration increases by 10-15%. At this time, an outing into nature becomes a real healing session: while walking, lung ventilation increases by one and a half to two times, and beneficial saturation occurs faster.

Products last longer

In the cold season, the backpack automatically turns into a portable refrigerator - you can take with you not only perishable foods, but also such delicacies as atypical for a hike, such as dumplings or frozen vegetables. By the way, we wrote about how to choose the right dumplings and how many pieces you can eat without harming your figure and health.

Secret paths open up

In winter, many bodies of water freeze, opening up new routes and opportunities. Walk along the island in the middle of the lake, approach an inaccessible rock on the river bank, take a shortcut straight through the swamps - this is the advantage of sub-zero temperatures. The main thing is to remember to be careful: earlier we learned which ice is dangerous to go out on and how to determine its density by eye.

When else will it be possible to stand on your head in the middle of a lake? Photo: Pavel Raspopov

It's easier to burn calories...

In the cold when physical activity the body burns more calories - spending them, among other things, on warming up the muscles and maintaining the desired body temperature. To enhance the effect, you can take trekking poles with you on a hike: they will force all muscles to participate in the movement. They will also help you overcome off-road conditions, relieve stress on your back, increase your walking speed, and even protect yourself from injury in the event of an unfortunate fall. We wrote about how to choose this wonderful unit.

...and more difficult - the forest

In order to set fire to anything at all surrounded by snowdrifts (sometimes even the fire itself) you will have to try very hard. This means you don’t have to waste time on overly painstaking lining of the fire pit and don’t worry about every spark that flies from the fire. You can also extinguish the flame in a matter of seconds.

In winter, a fire is safe for the forest. Photo: Evgenia Skachkova

A New Look to old landscapes

Snow and ice transform nature beyond recognition. Dense thickets suddenly turn into a magical forest from a New Year's card, and the usual Railway on a frosty evening it shines as if someone had scattered kilograms of glitter all over it. The rocks look especially impressive: bright snow emphasizes their relief, all the unique shapes, cracks and depressions.

For example, a pond near Upper Barancha was covered with amazing snow crystals in November. Photo: Pavel Raspopov

This is not the top of the “thousander” ridge, but the modest Mount Kolpaki on the border Sverdlovsk region and Perm region. Its height above sea level is only 614 meters. Photo: Pavel Raspopov

And this is how the familiar Old Lens is transformed into different time of the year. Photo: Pavel Raspopov

Easier to see wild animals

In winter, animals become bolder in search of food: birds are more likely to fly up to you for a treat, and a curious fox may well appear not far from the camp. If you are unlucky with a personal meeting, you will be able to admire animal tracks - the snow leaves no chance for secret movement. However, here too it’s worth remembering about safety: we’ll tell you in detail next week how to behave when meeting forest dwellers and not disturb the most dangerous of them.

This is what hare tracks look like. Photo: Evgenia Skachkova

It's harder to see other tourists

With the arrival of winter, the number of tourists decreases even in the most popular nature parks - which means you don’t have to crowd along narrow paths. This fact will clearly please introverts and those who like to enjoy nature alone.

Less discomfort from precipitation

Even in the heaviest snowfall, you won’t get wet through, won’t end up with squelchy boots, or fall into a puddle on a washed-out forest path. Enjoy before spring comes.

You can forget about arachnophobia

If you would like to get to know each other better wildlife, but the thought of its creeping-biting representatives puts you in a panic, then winter - best time for the first trips.

Whether it will be a weekend walk with a return to the warmth of civilization or a full-fledged extreme hike with an overnight stay in tents is up to you. An intermediate option is to use special shelters for tourists.

For example, the cost of a comfortable overnight stay in Oleniye Ruchyi ranges from 450 rubles for a bed in a wooden house (with a refrigerator, electric stove and outdoor toilet) to 1000 rubles for a bed in a two-room suite with sofas, a TV and all amenities.

In the ecotourist complex “Veselye Gory” (territory of the Visimsky Nature Reserve), guests are offered houses with modern renovations, fireplaces and panoramic windows. The price of pleasure is 1000 rubles per day.

You can spend a night in Taganay by paying 150 rubles for a place in a stationary winter tent with stove heating or 500 rubles for a bed in a comfortable wooden house.

In Zyuratkul, for staying in a house with amenities, they will ask from 350 to 1000 rubles, depending on the conditions.

From camping tents to city rooms, nature parks offer accommodation for every taste. Photo: website natural park"Oleni Ruchi"/site of the natural park "Taganay"

I remind you that if you have any questions regarding hiking, please send them by email. If possible, we will find answers to them together!