Russian tourism industry adapts to the pandemic

 Russian tourism industry adapts to the pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years has greatly affected and changed the global tourism business, including in Russia. New waves of the epidemic pose a requirement to adapt not only for tour operators and businesses operating in the tourism industry, but also for Russian tourists themselves.

Russian domestic tourism boomed during the pandemic. (Photo: Thanh The)

As in many countries, international travel restrictions because of Covid-19 have boosted domestic tourism in Russia. Elena Shelekhova - press officer of the travel planning service OneTwoTrip said that in 2021, about 95% of all air tickets booked will be for domestic routes to Russia.

According to Elena Shelekhova, from the middle of summer and autumn of 2020, when travel restrictions are eased, the demand for domestic tourism in Russia increases rapidly. OneTwoTrip representative emphasized that the company's statistics show that tourism demand in Russia has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Many regions of Russia have particularly benefited, as prices and demand for trips have both increased.

One of the factors stimulating the growth of domestic tourism in Russia is the tourist refund program. Specifically, visitors can get 20% refund of domestic trip costs when paying with Mir card. According to some reports, this state tourism subsidy program is expected to be extended in 2022.

The pandemic has not only helped boost domestic tourism, but also contributed to the popularization of new forms of tourism in Russia. Food tours, new eco-routes attract more and more tourists. According to experts, the southern "country of Birch" with many hills and mountains has made leaps and bounds in infrastructure construction and service quality improvement. The priority now is to expand the types of indigenous tourism.

Travel restrictions have changed not only the direction of travel, but also travel habits. More and more Russians prefer to travel on their own, not through tour operators. According to analytics agency AUTOSTAT, more than 56% of drivers plan to spend their vacation driving touring within the country.

Tourists board the bus to visit Moscow city. (Photo: Thanh The)

Not only are they self-sufficient in means of transport, but Russians are less and less dependent on housing services. “Thanks to dedicated digital platforms that expand self-designing services, travelers have become more active in short-term rentals directly from owners,” said Artem Kromochkin, head of the rental property division. short term of “Avito” said.

In addition to the self-sufficient tourism trend, Russia's tourism industry also witnessed a trend of combining work and relaxation. According to Elena Shelekhova, there are two main directions in Russia. The first is a combination of a business trip and a short vacation. The second is that due to the shift to remote work, many Russians move to houses in the countryside or to other cities and countries.

Domestic tourism has grown strongly, but many Russians still hope to return to their favorite destinations abroad soon. According to the Federal Tourism Agency, Russia has reopened air routes to more than 80 countries, but tourists still face many difficulties because of travel regulations. In 2021, the demand for winter vacations of Russians will increase by 30% compared to 2020. Russian tourists are still looking to the new policies of traditional markets to be able to enjoy a trip abroad after two years. wait.