Several companies have begun developing a new Russian online hotel booking service, according to the Republic's Minister of Resorts and Tourism, Vadim Volchenko.
“Of course, we need our own all-Russian booking resource in order to "To protect ourselves for the future. Moreover, this is a good opportunity for domestic businesses. As far as I know, such an online platform is already being developed, possibly with international options," he said, according to RIA Novosti.
Mr. Volchenko noted that work on the project is underway at the federal level.
As a reminder, in July of this year, it was reported that flight and hotel booking services Momondo and Kayak had stopped displaying hotels located in Crimea. Trivago later joined them.
It's also worth noting that last summer, the option to book a hotel in Crimea disappeared on Booking.com. A little later, the company clarified that it was still possible to book a stay through the service—you just need to specify "work" as the purpose of your trip.
As the republic's Minister of Resorts and Tourism emphasized, the departure of foreign booking companies from Crimea remains largely unnoticed by tourists. "All this has not affected the quality of vacations or the hospitality industry in any way," he explained.
However, it's worth noting that domestic online hotel booking services already exist in Russia, including Ostrovok.ru, Hotels.ru, and others, founded in 2010.
Source: trn-news.ru