2021-05-12 22:47:09
The tourism industry is one of the main victims of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. And the situation is still very far from normalization, especially against the background of uncertainty with the opening of borders and, in particular, a temporary (from April 15 to June 1) ban on flights from Russia to Turkey . Inbound tourism to our country has also declined significantly: Rosstat indicates that the flow of foreigners fell in January-September 2020 by 73% year-on-year, and of those who did come to Russia, only 0.33%, according to border service of the FSB, visited the country specifically for the purpose of tourism – a total of 12,900 people.
For the Russian economy as a whole, such a failure of tourism is unpleasant, but not catastrophic (in Russia’s GDP, the tourism industry accounted for about 4% in 2019, and under normal conditions, by 2035 this figure should have grown to 7%). However, for many economies in the world, tourism is much more significant. At the beginning of 2020, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, 330 million people were employed in this industry worldwide, the industry with a turnover of $ 9 trillion per year was responsible for approximately 10% of the world’s gross product. Of the 20 largest economies, Italy, Spain and Mexico rely the most on tourism, where tourism typically generated up to 15% of GDP.
Coronavirus restrictions, coupled with changing reality, have forced the travel industry to change rapidly – just to survive. As a result, several notable trends have formed, which are likely to remain relevant in the foreseeable future.
More exclusivity
Many studies show that rich people have, on average, become even richer as a result of the pandemic. This has also affected the tourism industry. When some resorts reopened after several months of global self-isolation, it was luxury options that were especially in high demand among vacation-hungry clients. Bookings for ultra-luxury hotels, residences and villas have skyrocketed since the borders reopened, according to PRCO’s Ultima Collection statistics, with 95% of the company’s guests traveling by private jet.
The situation is similar with charter yachts. The representative of the largest American broker Denison Yachting, Ben Farnborough, notes that, despite the restrictions, the private boat rental market in 2020 even grew compared to 2019 and is now gaining momentum. “Already in the first quarter alone, we closed 65% of the turnover of the entire 2020, which was also successful,” says Farnborough. “Given the uncertainty in Europe, charters in the US, the Bahamas and the Caribbean are particularly popular.”
“Earlier, 60-70% of superyachts went to the Caribbean for New Year and Christmas,” comments Ekaterina Pavlova, head of the charter direction of Imperial Yachts. – And in 2020, the fleet is divided approximately equally – 40% each – between the Caribbean Sea and the Indian Ocean, the remaining 20% went to less popular regions, for example, to French Polynesia. Since the beginning of 2021, there has been strong demand for Scandinavia, especially Norway. Well, Antarctica stands apart, where the legendary [77-метровая экспедиционная суперъяхта] La Datcha. It is almost completely booked for the winter season – it is almost impossible to find a free week.
Closer to nature
Another observation of the “coronavirus season” – perhaps never before have people been so eager to visit the wild and remote corners of the Earth. Thanks to this, glampings (glamping from the English glamorous and camping) and glampervans (comfortable mobile homes), as well as all kinds of camps, lodges and eco-friendly hotels, have gained immense popularity. The trend is also typical for Russia. According to PRCO, there were 60 glamping sites in the country in 2019, and their number doubled in 2020. Camping trips with accommodation in tents are also popular, especially in Karelia, the Murmansk region and Altai.
Why are people drawn to nature? The poetic answer is this: because of the pandemic, many have come to realize the fragility of the planet, and therefore there was a desire to have time to see as many untouched places as possible before it’s too late. But there is also a pragmatic answer: closed borders have objectively made tourism local, and besides, in nature, unlike in the city, it is easier to maintain the notorious social distance and, therefore, the likelihood of contracting the virus is lower. “More than ever, the desire to travel to remote, sparsely populated places is popular,” said Carlos Nunez, founder of Kontiki Expeditions, which organizes private cruises on small yachts along the coast of Ecuador. “Customers still want a luxury holiday, but they are very concerned about their health and safety, and they also want to take care of the environment. This new trend is called “neo-luxury”.
This direction, whose name comes from the words work and vacation, is generally one of the youngest in tourism. It arose about 10 years ago, but now it is entirely necessary to thank the spread of remote work and tools for remote communication for its strengthening and development. Tourists move to warmer countries or from the city to the water and nature for a long time and thus combine work and leisure. Hotels, in turn, also respond to the challenge: they provide guests with suitable conditions, set up comfortable tables and chairs, provide fast Internet, and prepare special thematic offers. For example, Porto Montenegro in Montenegro launched the Work and Live program. Clients can rent luxury apartments near the water 50 m from the marina with yachts for 1400 euros per month and use the modern co-working space on the territory of the complex.
Many countries even managed to introduce special visas for “digital nomads” (digital nomad – a person who constantly works remotely and lives in different countries). So did, for example, the Caribbean states, Croatia, Dubai, Georgia, as well as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, etc. If tourist visas usually allow you to stay in the country for 30–90 days, then the new type of permits extends this period in some cases up to 1– 3 years. For example, to obtain a two-year visa to stay in Antigua and Barbuda, it is enough to present proof of work in a foreign company, a certificate of income in the amount of at least $50,000 per year and take out insurance.
Health is a priority
According to various Russian and foreign studies, from 40 to 60% of people are not yet ready to travel in principle due to fear of getting sick. Most of the active tourists who still go on trips are also, of course, concerned about this and pay close attention to the disinfection of rooms, the level of staff training and the attitude towards observing social distance and other important rules. Hotels try to respond to this request as much as possible. “We test employees weekly for COVID-19, we make sure to wear masks in public places, etc.,” says Nausica Georgiadou, owner of Skinopi Lodge villas on the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea. – Last year, many loyal customers came to us who had stayed with us before, because they are 100% confident in us. In my opinion, people will return to familiar places and try to avoid unnecessary movements.”
Domestic tourism
The closure of the borders has made domestic tourism the main one in the country. However, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, in 2020 it still decreased by 35–40% compared to 2019. However, a steady positive trend has been observed since the second half of last year.
Of the popular and interesting domestic destinations, there are relatively not hackneyed Buryatia, Kaliningrad, Altai and Rostov-on-Don, as well as eternal favorites – Karelia, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea and the Caucasus. Significant support for the promotion of domestic tourism was provided by the program for the purchase of tours and cashback tickets, for which the Russian government allocated 15 billion rubles. Tourists using it return 20% of the cost of a trip in Russia to the Mir card if they pay for their vacation online. “At the first stage, there was a difficult procedure for applying for admission to the program, but in the end, the conditions for applying were significantly simplified,” says Vera Mishenina, Sales Director of the Moscow 5-star Moss Hotel. – The program works well for suburban and resort hotels in the Moscow region, Crimea and Krasnodar Territory, but very badly for city business hotels. Most tourists choose 3-star and 4-star hotels for booking under the cashback program, 5-star hotels are less popular. Nevertheless, in 2020 the number of domestic tourists has increased by 30% compared to 2019.”
The stagnation (from the English stay and vacation) that has gained popularity partly helped out: when people cannot or do not want to leave their city or region due to restrictions, but want to change the situation, they move from their apartment to a hotel for a couple of days to recharge new emotions and relax in an unusual atmosphere. “If earlier among our guests there were mainly those who came on business trips, for business meetings and events, as well as for tourism and sightseeing purposes, now most of all just those who just want to change the situation – come for 1-2 nights at weekends or weekdays,” confirms Mishenina. By the way, some foreign hotels introduce additional discounts for locals to popularize the stay. For example, the Figueroa Hotel in Los Angeles is offering Californians a 25% discount on weekend accommodations, and Pendry San Diego is giving a room discount to guests living within a 500 km radius of the hotel.
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