Sochi and the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory
The Krasnodar Territory traditionally attracts Russian tourists with the opportunity to combine ski and beach holidays, as well as the presence of many sanatorium complexes.
The May holidays in 2021 were no exception: according to the airline ticket search service Aviasales, after the announcement of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin about the extension of the holiday holidays, the demand for flights to the Krasnodar Territory increased significantly.
For example, the number of people wishing to go to Gelendzhik has grown 40 times, in Sochi - 3.5 times.
The Russians, who decided to go to Sochi for the May holidays, note that the influx of tourists is felt quite strongly.
Muscovite Sergei Ishchenko, who went to the Krasnodar Territory with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary, tells RT that even while walking along the embankment, you have to squeeze through the crowd.
“Everything is loaded, there are a lot of people,” admits Sergey.
- In September last year it was more comfortable here, but, of course, then it was an academic year, plus people were still afraid to go to resorts.
And now everyone here has gone to May.
We took a taxi from the airport, talked to the driver, and even he said that there was a large flow of tourists and that there was a feeling of being overloaded with orders ”.
Tourists who spoke with RT complain about the rise in ticket prices to Sochi and other cities of the Krasnodar Territory.
According to the websites of the largest air carriers, prices for round-trip flights in these directions for the May holidays start at 10 thousand rubles per person without luggage (departure from Moscow).
Sergei Ishchenko also notes that it is now quite difficult to find housing in Sochi for the May holidays.
At the same time, rental prices, according to him, have not changed compared to last year.
“We looked for an apartment on Airbnb, and there were very few options.
In Sochi, there is now a full house, there are almost no vacant apartments, you have to choose from what is available.
But still, a studio for two with a modern renovation came out relatively inexpensive.
Although I am sure that we managed to book this apartment only because the owner of our apartment recently registered on the service, ”Ischenko believes.
But at the same time, according to him, he did not notice an increase in prices for food and services compared to previous trips.
Another tourist, Alena Samarina from Samara, expresses the opposite opinion - according to her, the prices in catering establishments are now "sky-high".
“We, like many, probably, Russians, were going to fly to Turkey for the May holidays, but, as you know, the borders were closed, so we decided to go to Sochi.
It turned out even cheaper, since we got the cashback back.
We live in a boarding house with three meals a day, the service is fine, - says Alena.
- But the prices in the cafe are just hellish: yesterday I went with friends to have lunch at a pizzeria, and the check shocked me.
For two simple chicken soups for children, waffles and compote with tea, I gave more than two and a half thousand. "
© Photo from personal archive
The interlocutor of RT also complained about the high congestion of the resort - the embankment and all popular public spaces are overflowing with people walking, while, according to her, no one observes the sanitary standards.
The same picture - in public transport, stated Alena.
“Yesterday we went by train to the Olympic village.
I must say right away that everything is without masks.
Transport is generally packed, flew here from Samara - the plane was completely jammed.
The workload is very high - we are unlikely to go to Krasnaya Polyana, although we were going to.
They say there are also crowds and sky-high prices.
There are also huge queues in chain stores like Pyaterochka - apparently, people are hoping to save money by preparing food on their own.
Sellers, by the way, say that prices have doubled just after Turkey was closed before the May holidays, ”says Samarina.
Crimea and Sevastopol
In the Crimea and Sevastopol for the May holidays poured no less flow of tourists.
According to the feelings of the vacationers themselves, Yalta turned out to be the most loaded.
Muscovite Yulia Zagitova, who came on vacation with her husband and a small child, claims that due to the influx of tourists, prices for accommodation in Yalta hotels have skyrocketed.
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© yuliazagitova
“Some hotels have raised prices by 30%, they directly tell tourists that this is due to the cashback return system.
That is, prices were raised by exactly the percentage that people are returned.
This is, of course, horror.
We didn’t even spend the night in Yalta, because the hotel where we had stayed earlier cost 16 thousand rubles a day, and before it was 5-6 thousand. Something bad is happening, prices should not rise to such an extent ”, - the interlocutor of RT is indignant.
Zagitova was also disappointed by the heavy workload of the popular Crimean resort: according to her, because of the crowds of tourists in Yalta, the sea air is not even felt.
What's more, local restaurants, shops and grocery market vendors have raised prices substantially to cash in on tourists.
“In restaurants you stand for 20 minutes just waiting for a table,” complains Zagitova.
- A huge number of people, a lot of cars, and prices that bite.
When you walk along the embankment, you feel like you came to Old Arbat on the weekend.
Absolutely sea air is not felt, it smells only of gasoline. "
At the same time, in Evpatoria, where Yulia's family decided to spend most of the vacation, the prices, according to her observations, remained the same.
Zagitova was also pleased with the opportunity to combine rest and treatment in a sanatorium - the prices for medical care and spa services here are much lower than in Moscow, although they are in no way inferior in quality, the woman emphasizes.
“The prices for treatment are low here.
Massage, acupuncture and a pool with sea water for that kind of money we cannot find in Moscow.
When you buy such services, there is still the possibility of a tax deduction.
I sent in a tax return yesterday and will receive a 13% tax deduction.
That is, we bought 60 thousand of procedures for the whole family, and another 13% will return to us, ”Julia rejoices.
A tourist from the Moscow region, Olesya Tyschenko, who went to Crimea for the May holidays, also recommends giving up trips to Yalta and giving preference to other cities of the peninsula.
“Improvement in Yalta leaves much to be desired: garbage is removed only on the territory of hotels, roads are broken.
The transport infrastructure is also upsetting: all the minibuses are jam-packed, people literally ride on each other, and, of course, all without masks.
In Sevastopol, the situation is much better, ”the woman said.
At the same time, the interlocutor of RT added that the attitude of local residents towards tourists exceeded all her expectations - the Crimeans are "very friendly and always ready to help with any question."
Olesya was also delighted with the level of excursion programs on the peninsula.
“The tour guides are beyond praise, they tell very interesting stories, they allow you to directly immerse yourself in the history of these places,” the tourist emphasizes.
Tyschenko also liked the fact that right on the peninsula, Russian tourists can get vaccinated against coronavirus.
To do this, they need to go through the standard registration procedure for vaccination through the portal of public services.
Baltic coast and Kaliningrad
During the pandemic, demand for Russian resorts on the Baltic coast also increased: Kaliningrad, Svetlogorsk, Zelenogradsk.
Tourists with whom RT spoke are attracted by the lesser congestion of these resorts, as well as by the nature and rich history of the region, compared to the southern destinations.
© Photo from personal archive
On the websites of air carriers, you can find tickets to Kaliningrad costing from 6 thousand rubles without luggage (direct flight from Moscow).
At the same time, a resident of Tomsk, Anton Chubais, told RT that after Putin's announcement about the extension of the May holidays, the price of tickets with a transfer in Moscow almost tripled.
“We took a ticket from Tomsk to Kaliningrad with a transfer in Moscow.
The ticket cost for two 32 thousand there back, and when I looked after the increase, at the same dates, the same flight, we looked two days before departure - and that price was already 90 thousand, ”the man explains.
According to Anton, he liked Kaliningrad much more than Sochi and the popular cities of the Krasnodar Territory.
The man explained that there are fewer people here and more interesting and unusual locations than in the usual southern resorts.
“I was in Sochi, in the Crimea, but Kaliningrad is much better, that's for sure,” Chubais is sure.
- In Sochi, the price tag is very high, prices have been raised, housing is expensive.
And the impressions from Kaliningrad are excellent, the prices are for any wallet, while the city is not like any one in which I have been, it is all steeped in history.
And there is something to see in the region, for example, our friends took us to the Curonian Spit.
By the way, there were quite a lot of tourists there, whole buses were parked. "
A resident of St. Petersburg Maria Suvorina also believes that in the Kaliningrad region the prices, service and quality of recreation are much better than in most popular southern resorts.
“I know our south, and it does not meet the service, I do not even plan to go there in the near future.
I'd rather endure some time without the sea, because I know what awaits me there: raised price tags, a large number of people and a minimum of service, ”Suvorina said.
She flew to Kaliningrad before the start of the May holidays, but, according to her, there were quite a lot of tourists here since the end of April.
“Local taxi drivers have enlightened us that the number of flights to Kaliningrad has increased several times since May 1, and all local residents are expecting a large number of tourists, preparing for them.
We are glad that we arrived before May 1, - said Maria RT.
- At the same time, we bought tickets in advance, on the eve of the trip, prices increased significantly.
The rest of the prices here are about the same as in St. Petersburg, and somewhere even cheaper. "