Crimean resorts this year could be short of tourists

The influx of tourists in the Crimea on the May Day celebrations encouraged local officials and hoteliers. Counting on a successful continuation of the season, they have already increased prices for their services by 10-15%. But with the beginning of summer, the situation has changed. Declined because of the crisis cost of living in European resorts allow the travelers to change plans - now tourists en masse refuse to have rooms booked. Especially in the ARC still remain two problems: access to the beaches and quality service.

Deceptive May

At this year's May Day celebrations on the peninsula came as at least 1.5 times more tourists than in the past. According to the director of the Sevastopol AH Sarushen Gregory Apresova, so the dynamic growth in many ways provided the Russians, for whom the warming of political relations between Ukraine and Russia and cheaper holiday in the Crimea because of the devaluation of the hryvnia are additional arguments in favor of the choice of our resorts. In addition, preparations for the Winter Olympics, nearly tore the summer season in Sochi, which should also be diverted more tourists in the Crimean direction. To intensify the process, the Crimean officials in the current year are surprisingly actively to prepare for the new season. For advertising recreational opportunities of the peninsula has been allocated more than 3 million UAH. That twice this season.

Impressive list of various entertainment activities planned for this summer. Thus, in June festival to be held in Yalta, "Caribbean Heat" (dance competitions and master-classes), in Bahchisarae - Kupaly dew, in Foros - Oriental Dance Festival, in Kerch - "Streams of dance". For July in Sudak scheduled Knight Festival of "Genoa helmet" in Sevastopol - the international jazz festival in Yalta - Bike Show in August - a festival of contemporary art, Balaclava, the show of balloons in Sevastopol, Opera and Ballet Festival in Yalta.

Minister of health resorts and tourism of Crimea Sergey Kirilenko proudly told me that at the end of May some 800 thousand Muscovites have booked rooms at hotels in Crimea, while last year all summer, there were slightly more than 1 million total, the Crimean authorities have planned to get more than 7 million tourists, which should bring to the local budget of over 2 billion UAH.

Optimistic officials contracted and owners of apartments by the sea. Anticipating a large influx of summer visitors, many rushed to the 10-15% increase in prices for accommodation, explaining the overall rise in price inflation in the country. But since mid-May the situation was radically changed. According to the head of the agency "Crimea. Rest. Rent" Tatiana Volkova, European hotels have begun to lower prices, forced the Russians to reconsider the same plans for the summer. "Travel agencies with whom we work in Russia, massively reject the booked accommodation in Crimea, motivated by the fact that their clients prefer resorts in Greece or Spain, where this year for $ 50 a day you can take a room for two in the hotel with its own beach and pool. This is 40-50% cheaper than last summer. For the same money on the South Coast in high season unrealistic even to live, not to mention the possibility of obtaining similar to the European service. On less expensive resorts - in Evpatoria, Feodosia, Sudak - $ 50 per day tourist can find a good home, but again without guaranteed access to the beach"- explains Ms. Volkova, adding that as a result of requests for booking of accommodation at Sea this year was 70% less than in the past. Increasingly, the "refuseniks", the Russians join our compatriots, who managed to find a more advantageous options the rest of Europe and Turkey.

The negative trend is confirmed by the head of the agency "Rest in Feodosia", Alexander Petrovsky, which has estimated that in their city will be 10-20% less visitors than last summer. From planning a vacation in the ARC refused in the first place tourists from upper middle-income and the VIP-guests, who for the most landlords are welcome. Those who are still willing to come and ask them to pick up as possible affordable types of accommodation: up to 250 UAH per room or studio apartment in a day on high season (July-August). At the same time put up with everyday inconveniences potential tenants do not want. For this, the Crimea's standards, a modest amount they are seeking shelter with a fresh renovation, nice furniture, constant hot water, air conditioning, household appliances and in close proximity to the sea. Realtors agree that, despite the abundance of housing dealer in the Crimea, they are not always able to implement applications potential customers.

The sea side of the fence

Despite the crisis, the construction boom in Crimea continues. For this season, almost every resort town opened at least three to five new mini-hotels, and the number is growing daily surrendering apartments whose owners, wanting to earn, move out en masse for the summer to stay with relatives or in hastily erected on country sites temporary houses. As a result, estimates of Alexander Petrovsky, a proposal by 1,5-2 times exceeds demand. Similar data lead and realtors from other Crimean towns. For example, according to project manager to log in Sudak Tatiana Ermilova over the past two or three years, offer dealer housing they doubled. Moreover, most new apartments designed for the middle class and billed at $ 50-80 per day. Fill in this amount of housing now simply no one to.

Active private construction has made an imbalance in the traditional price rating of the Crimean resorts. Previously regarded as the most affordable towns Nikolaevka, Kacha, Ordzhonikidze, followed by Sudak, Evpatoria, Feodosia. The first position in the list are the South Coast resorts: Alushta, Foros, Partenid and Big Yalta. And the cost of housing in the most accessible and most expensive resorts first and differed threefold. Now, private entrepreneurs in the formation of prices rather than repel the level of the resort, but on the quality of the apartments. Therefore, a room in a mini-hotel on the first line in Nikolaevka, Kutch, Ordzhonikidze, Sudak, Feodosia, Evpatoria is virtually the same - $ 50-60 a day. Similar proposals are on the South Coast more expensive for no more than $ 15-20. Moreover, this year prices are increasingly dependent on having access to the beach and the quality of the latter. While on the eve of the opening season of the Crimean authorities announced that charges for access to the sea with holidaymakers taking is forbidden, and the Council of Ministers in late May, even instructed the Interior Ministry Management Authority to monitor the implementation of this decision, the problem is as acute as ever. According to Tatyana Volkova, in many locations in the coastline has long divided between the major pensions, which for the right of "foreign" tourists sunbathe on their territory requested to 70 UAH per person, which is one third higher than last summer. Over the past year and as the beaches of cardinal changes have occurred. According to the Medical Service of the ARC, are ready for the season no more than 40% of coastal recreational areas. "The hardest thing to get through to the sea in Gurzuf, where the shoreline length 1.5 km lined with numerous gates, and in Yalta, where the beaches are long split between the old children's pensions," - says Ms. Volkova. In the New World all 700-meter coastal area given to tenants who successfully earn their visitors. In Massandra free beach is only 50 meters, so count on a comfortable rest is not necessary. Traditionally, close beaches differs Alushta.

In this situation, B&Bs and hotels in possession of the territory of the water, get a distinct competitive advantage, therefore, intend to keep the alleged high prices by 10-15% more than last year, despite the ambiguity of the season. At the same time, private traders are not able to provide its guests access to the sea, ready at least in June to provide clients 10% discount, hoping that in the peak season, the situation may level off. In Sevastopol, where the problem is less relevant to the beaches, the prices, by contrast, are preparing to lift. Gregory Apresov notes that now the apartment owners try not to take shelter in the long term (more than two or three weeks), hoping to raise tariffs, even though previously they pursued similar proposals.

On materials www.ukrtourism.com