Opportunities for the potential development of the tourism industry, our country is able to capture the imagination of anyone. We have everything - from seas and oceans, mountains and rivers to wonderful historical cities and picturesque villages. What other country in the world can boast of such diversity? But in reality, such rich opportunities are practically not realized. In the ranking lists of the world dedicated to tourism, the place of the Russian Federation is somewhere at the end of the fifth decade. How did it happen? Let's look at the main problems in the field of tourism in our country.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to single out a single reason for the discrepancy between the level of capabilities and the degree of their implementation. Those are a whole bunch. Below is the main reason why the vast majority of world tourists do not consider Russia as a desirable object for exciting trips. Moreover, the same factors do not cause a surge of enthusiasm among compatriots.
Transport infrastructure and tourism issues
The huge extent of the territory of our country, no matter howstrangely, in the development of tourism has played a rather negative than positive role. Judge for yourself: the journey from the northern to the southern extreme point in our country can take at least seven days of travel by train - not very comfortable in domestic conditions and, frankly, quite exhausting. The cost of train tickets is by no means cheap, and the conditions, unfortunately, are far from ideal. Many of the problems of tourism development in Russia are connected with this.
Russian Railways periodically takes measures to update the train stock, and yet the state of most of the cars scares off not only Western travelers who are accustomed to civilized conditions, but also much more enduring compatriots.
It would seem that you can use an alternative option - air travel. But here things are even worse. Comparing the prices for air tickets within the country with those that exist in Europe, tourists fall into a real shock. For example, a flight from one European country to another (say, from the Czech Republic to France) will cost 60-80 euros. If you have planned a trip from Moscow to Siberia, the expense will triple. Of course, distances should also be taken into account, but still the prices bite.
We cannot be proud of the automobile infrastructure either. Everyone knows about the state of our roads. A number of regions are characterized by their almost complete absence, which, of course, does not add enthusiasm to our travelers. Yes, and Western tourists, having experienced once or twice all the delights of a car trip along the roads of Russia, rarely return tothis idea again.
About correct positioning
The tourism industry is a business like many others. And the problems of modern tourism are solved by the correct positioning, which plays one of the leading roles here. But it is precisely in this part that there are great difficulties in our country. "On hearing" among tourists - only a few generally accepted places to visit. Not counting Moscow and St. Petersburg, this is mainly Sochi - a recognized leader in southern recreation and a "classic of the genre" - the most picturesque Lake Baikal.
But is this the list of wonderful places in our country suitable for recreation? After all, the same Golden Ring is sometimes known not to every Russian, not to mention foreign tourists. An elementary lack of information about the many beautiful historical cities and places with interesting sights affects the development of the tourism industry in the most sad way.
We don't know either…
If the very depressing situation with external tourism is still somehow understandable, then what prevents the development of domestic tourism? After all, many Russians could be happy to travel to the beautiful and remarkable places of their own country. Meanwhile, the indicator of the development of domestic tourism in our country is a completely miserable figure - a little more than 1%. For comparison: the vast majority of civilized countries can boast of such in the range of 10 to 12%.
What can solve such problems of tourism in Russia? As in any kind of business, hereA lot depends on good branding. Advertising and more advertising! National sights must be shown and described, proposals for their inspection and visit must be competently prepared and available in every travel agency. People need to be explained the advantages of domestic holiday destinations over foreign resorts.
Why is no one doing this? Perhaps the reasons for this silence can be called the following factors.
No centralized control
Absolutely any developed country has a separate department or ministry, whose task is tourism (problems, prospects). It is in this area that issues are resolved that affect the reconstruction of its most significant objects, ways to attract travelers and methods of advertising campaigns are discussed. In our country, the existence of this body is simply not provided for by law.
Thus, tourism remains "ownerless" with us. Its curation periodically falls under the jurisdiction of either the Ministry of Culture or the Ministry of Sports. It affects at all levels - from federal to regional. If somewhere (the Arkhangelsk region can serve as an example) the tourism niche is mainly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Sports, there can be observed serious distortions towards one of its forms to the detriment of other areas.
In the absence of a unified management base and very weak state support, tourism is actually put in conditions of survival onprinciples of self-sufficiency. Of course, with such data, it is simply not serious to count on the rapid development of the industry and a powerful flow of visitors.
Regional tourism: problems and development prospects
All over the world, the phenomenon of regional tourism has long and firmly won a leading position in the structure of the industry. Trips to the most interesting places in any country are very popular. Small villages, cozy houses, campsites, barbecues, tourist camps - all this attracts a huge number of travelers. But not with us. State investments in the development of regional tourism in our country have not yet been observed, and the reasons for this can only be guessed.
Meanwhile, the prospects for the development of this type of tourism in the vast domestic expanses are simply excellent. At present, they are implemented mainly "pointwise" on the initiative of individuals and individual entrepreneurs. An example is the village of Vyatskoye, located in the Yaroslavl region. Enlisting the support of the local administration, the enterprising businessman opened and maintains a number of national museums at his own expense. Visitors can get acquainted with Russian amusements, visit a real bathhouse, etc.
With the proper level of information, there would be very, very many connoisseurs of such a holiday. After all, such tourist sites adorn every country. In practice, the project is known only to a narrow circle of connoisseurs.
About specialized tourism
There are no types of tourismin the world! You can talk long and interesting about eco- and cycling tourism, its extreme types, traveling with a camera to interesting places. Few have heard of all these exotic destinations. Popular in Russia is only the type of tourism that is associated with recreation. Meanwhile, it has been proven in practice that it is mainly its profile varieties that bring the state revenues. And those who are concerned about the development of the tourism business in Russia should think in this direction - what to invent, find, invent to attract jaded travelers? How to solve these specific problems of tourism development in domestic conditions?
About our hotels
In the opinion of Western tourists, Russia has only two types of hotels - either luxurious, but very expensive, or relatively cheap, but absolutely uncomfortable. Sounds logical enough. The vast majority of Russian hotels still exist at the level of the Soviet Union. That is, it provides a minimum of service with the absence of those modern amenities that are so familiar to spoiled Western tourists.
Another variety is high-end hotels with prices from $800 and up. Of course, this option, due to its high cost, is not available to most vacationers.
The Czech Republic can serve as an example of an excellent solution to such problems. Constant travelers know many cozy small family-type hotels, as well as inexpensive hostels. In this direction, with the proper level of attention and care on the part of the state, theour economy.
Information curtain as an obstacle
In the eyes of Western inhabitants, Russia has been and remains surrounded by legends and myths of the most fantastic kind for decades. Until now, a certain part of Europeans associates our country with a standard set of bears, balalaika and Russian vodka. Of course, with such ideas, few people dare to go into the wilderness with harsh aggressive inhabitants and an inhospitable climate. This is what a lack of information can lead to!
The modern way of life of our compatriots, rich cultural traditions of the country, many interesting places and sights that can be seen here - all this remains "behind the scenes" for most of those who live outside of Russia. Tourism problems can only be solved by overcoming the "information blockade".
The negative role of sanctions
The tourist flow to our country has significantly decreased under the influence of recent political events, in particular due to the introduction of well-known sanctions. The disapproval of our country's foreign policy led to a natural consequence - a refusal to support the Russian economy. In the West, they continue to plant an artificial image of an aggressor country. Potential tourists are being intimidated by the danger of traveling to a militarized state with no freedom of speech.
An amazing fact: many Westerners seriously believe that under the influence of sanctions in Russia, food stalls are almostempty. Tourists are afraid to go to a hungry country - what should they eat there?
Where do Russians prefer to relax?
Despite the permanent crisis, domestic tourists are hard to stop. No one has canceled travel of an entertaining and educational nature. True, most trips are made abroad. As already mentioned, domestic tourism in the expanses of the Fatherland is completely unpopular, and in the foreseeable future there are no forecasts for a change in this sad situation.
But why are compatriots so unpatriotic? After all, the territory of the country has many climatic zones for every taste. Traveling around the country does not require additional documents and tourist visas.
The answer is simple: it's all about the financial issue. According to estimates, a decent vacation abroad can be much cheaper than at domestic resorts.
Here is a typical example. In Moscow, in recent years, the tourist destination has been actively developed and advertised, but the capital of their homeland is still inaccessible to most Russians. In the last five years, no more than 5% of compatriots visited it as tourists. The reason lies in the exorbitant high cost of living and recreation in the conditions of their native capital. Hotels in Moscow are beyond the reach of most travelers from the provinces.
How much does it cost to spend the night in the capital
Even a night in a Moscow hostel will cost you no less than 500-600 rubles. At the same time, you will have to huddle in a room for 8-10 people. If you wishreserve a room for 2-4 people, it will cost from 1000 rubles. and above.
About the same situation in St. Petersburg. The price of a hostel there can reach a mark comparable to the cost of a single room in an average European hotel (three or four stars).
Traditionally, in Moscow there was such a direction as children's tourism. Schoolchildren were centrally brought on vacation and introduced to the sights of the capital. But in recent years, the flow of children coming to the capital has noticeably dried up due to the same financial reasons. Accommodation of small tourists in the capital with an overnight stay is a serious problem. In most cases, they are brought for no more than a day - during the winter holidays. Children who have spent about 10 hours on the train only have time to formally get acquainted with the main attraction of Moscow - Red Square, and also look at the Kremlin Christmas Tree. A more detailed acquaintance with the capital is hindered by the same lack of accommodation at affordable prices.
How to be?
The whole complex of tourism problems mentioned above is too serious to talk about any urgent and short-term measures to improve the situation. There is no way to overcome the decline of the tourism industry in our country with a swoop. An example is the Sochi Olympics. It was expected that the result of its holding would be a grandiose influx of tourists. In practice, this is not observed.
To bring the tourism industry of our country to a decent level of tourism problemmust be addressed as a whole. Care should be taken to raise the country's image in the eyes of the international community, adjust the information system, establish a network of tourism infrastructure, and ensure the proper level of funding for hotels and recreation areas. But, as mentioned above, the achievement of all this is impossible in the absence of centralized management. It remains only to hope that in search of new ways to improve the domestic economy, the State Duma will nevertheless turn its eyes to the huge potential opportunities hidden in such a promising and economically attractive industry as tourism - external and internal.
