This year, Crimea has been among the leaders in terms of tourist flow growth: according to Rostourism, by the end of the summer season, the number of Russians vacationing on the peninsula has already exceeded 6 million people – this is 30% more than in the same period of 2017. Tour operators are also reporting increased demand. Moreover, experts predict that the upcoming season could be even more successful.
As Sergey Romashkin, CEO of the tour operator Dolphin, told Travel Russian News, the summer season for Crimea was truly record-breaking – the company's sales on the route increased by 201,000 rubles. The expert also noted that the increase in tourist flow was primarily due to the opening of the Crimean Bridge. "Firstly, this year, tourists traveling to the region by car now have the opportunity to reach the peninsula more affordably and quickly: previously, the crossing took two to three hours each way and cost 2,000 to 2,500 rubles per car. Secondly, the bridge's opening itself became a major media event," Mr. Romashkin explained.
Also, according to Delfin's CEO, following the disappointing 2017, many hotels didn't raise prices, and some even lowered them. "Our average bill in Crimea fell by about 4-51% of the current price. Moreover, some hotels lowered their prices by 101% of the current price," Mr. Romashkin explained.
According to a TRN source, the route will maintain its positive momentum next year. "We expect further growth in 2019. And the opening of the railway should play a role here. In any case, in 2013, the number of tourists arriving on the peninsula by train was 10 times higher than the number of air passengers. Crimea is a destination that has historically relied heavily on rail travel. It's also worth considering that rail travel is cheaper than air travel. It's difficult to estimate the growth rate, but I think Crimea still has 10-15% of potential left," concluded Sergey Romashkin.
Biblio-Globus' press service also confirmed the positive trend. "This year, we've seen strong interest in the destination from our clients. Demand for Crimean tours during the summer season exceeded last year's figures by 24.5%, and for the autumn-winter period, by 21.1%," the company reported, adding that peak sales for Crimea currently occur during November and the New Year holidays. "Sales peaked in January 2019. The resorts on the southern coast of Crimea, from Yalta to Alushta, are the most popular, followed by resorts on the eastern and western coasts," Biblio-Globus explained.
This summer, the tour operator increased its flight schedule to the peninsula by a quarter, including from regional cities. Biblio-Globus's flight schedule to Crimea includes daily flights from Moscow on Rossiya Airlines, as well as flights from Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. During the 2018 summer season, the tour operator also offered tours to Crimea on Red Wings Airlines flights from Perm, Omsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, and Kazan.
In turn, Intourist reported that Crimea ranked second in terms of searches for domestic destinations within the tour operator's Russian market during the summer season, second only to Sochi. "In 2018, the cost of package tours to Crimea increased by 51%, primarily due to higher airfare to Simferopol, while prices for Sochi and Abkhazia were reduced," the tour operator's press service explained.
They also reported that this year, the company's clients have been requesting hotels with parking more often: thanks to the opening of the Crimean Bridge, many tourists were able to save money and travel to Crimea by car, purchasing only ground services from the tour operator. "The total number of bookings increased by 151,000. Therefore, the season for organized tourism on domestic routes can be considered successful," Intourist's press service emphasized.
Source: trn-news.ru
