Tourists traveling both to the south and to the most popular destinations in the central part of Russia are faced with a shortage of rooms. According to experts, there are still more or less affordable places to accommodate the premium segment and, conversely, the most budget options that do not involve any amenities. But travelers who prefer rooms that can be assessed by the standards of 3 or 4 star hotels are faced with a shortage.
The growth in demand for domestic tourism is associated with both the current foreign policy situation and economic factors. For example, difficulties with logistics and an increase in the price of air tickets, as a result of which some traditional resort destinations, such as Turkey, have doubled in price. A significant part of the tourist flow has changed direction, choosing domestic tourism, and ways of travel, refocusing primarily on road transport.
According to some estimates, the shortage of tourist real estate in Russia is about 2 million square meters, and if the current pace of construction is maintained, it will be covered no sooner than in 10-15 years, but it is likely that this period will be less. So, according to media reports, a number of major developers, including PIK, Samolet Group of Companies, RKS Development, Alean Group of Companies, and others, are expressing interest in entering the tourism infrastructure market, according to media reports.
At the same time, a number of companies that have traditionally been involved in the tourism and event business have opened a separate area for attracting investments for the construction of facilities. For example, Ethnomir, the largest ethnographic park-museum in Russia, has been developing since 2006 only at its own expense from the flow of tourists and currently offers 18 hotels and guest houses for accommodation. But in 2021, for the first time, the company began to cooperate with attracted investors and, in such cooperation, is already building a complex of 178 apartments made in the style of Chinese architecture. According to company representatives, such a step is aimed at accelerating the construction of facilities, since there is already a large flow of visitors to the park, about 1 million people a year, and there are difficulties with their accommodation.
“We have an average occupancy in summer it is about 70%, and on weekends it is 100%. Including due to private and corporate events. At the same time, summer is a good indicator, but not the main one. Hotel owners have a planning horizon for the year, so we are actively working on occupancy in all seasons. For example, at the expense of holidays and festivals, in particular during the celebration of Maslenitsa, this is, one might say, our visiting card”, – explains Ruslan Bayramov, the creator of Etnomir.
According to analysts, there is a shortage of particularly complex projects on the market, where various accommodation formats (apartments, townhouses, apart-hotels) are offered with ready-made infrastructure: SPA, children's entertainment program, cultural centers, equipped spaces for business tourism.