Persistent Low Occupancy: Anapa's Resort Hotels Continually Struggle with Vacancies
In the summer of 2021, Russian resort towns like Anapa and Temryuk have been grappling with low tourist occupancy rates, and the reasons behind this trend are multifaceted.
One of the primary factors affecting tourist flows to Anapa during the 2021 season is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The global restrictions and travel limitations have undeniably impacted the number of tourists visiting Russian resort areas, including Anapa. Health and safety concerns, such as outbreaks or fears related to the pandemic, may have further deterred tourists from visiting. Additionally, economic constraints on travel budgets due to the pandemic’s economic effects have also played a role in reducing tourist numbers.
Environmental or infrastructure issues, such as pollution or restrictions affecting sea access, as well as seasonal weather anomalies or other natural events, could also influence tourist attendance.
In the case of Temryuk and Anapa, the impact of sea swimming bans has been particularly significant. Bans on sea swimming often arise due to pollution, harmful algae blooms, or safety threats such as strong currents. Such bans typically reduce the attractiveness of coastal resorts heavily reliant on beach and sea activities. This would lead to decreased bookings and occupancy rates in hotels and sanatoriums that depend on access to the sea as a key amenity. Local hospitality businesses might suffer financial losses and have to adapt by offering alternative services or discounts.
Some hotels and sanatoriums in Anapa and Temryuk have required tourists to sign a warning about the sea swimming ban. In Anapa, one hotel did not open for the summer due to lack of bookings and mostly requests for refunds. The beach opening in Anapa may be partial, and some areas, such as Vityazevo, Blagoveshchensk, and Tamany, may remain closed until the end of the season.
Preliminary estimates suggest partial beach opening in July and August in Djemete and Anapa, but some areas may remain closed until the end of the season. Hotel occupancy in Anapa decreased by approximately 40% in May compared to the same period last year, and by approximately 20% by June. Hotel owners in Anapa are pessimistic about the current tourist season, and the RTS does not expect a significant profit for the season in Anapa.
Despite a 30% or more price reduction, occupancy remains low at the "Golden Sands" and "Three Musketeers" hotels in Anapa. Interestingly, the gap in hotel occupancy between Anapa and neighboring regions has narrowed due to rising prices in neighboring regions. A hotel with developed infrastructure in Anapa costs an average of 30% less than in Sochi.
To acquire precise data and detailed analysis on these topics, consulting regional tourism reports, local government releases, or hospitality industry analyses from 2021 would be necessary. If more specific documents or sources become available, a more targeted and corroborated response can be provided.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related economic constraints on travel budgets, combined with sea swimming bans due to pollution or safety threats, may have contributed to the low tourist occupancy rates in finance-dependent recreational resorts such as Anapa and Temryuk, leading to possible lifestyle changes for local hospitality businesses and, potentially, reduced finance inflows due to low tourism revenues.
Preliminary estimates indicate that financial losses might persist across the 2021 season for certain hotels and sanatoriums in Anapa, given the low hotel occupancy rates even with price reductions, and the relatively lower prices for hotels in Anapa compared to neighboring regions like Sochi. Furthermore, the potential for a longer-term impact on finance-related industries, including tourism and hospitality, remains uncertain and necessitates continued research and analysis of regional reports, government releases, and industry analyses.
