Hoteliers have declared a crisis in the Kuban tourism industry.

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC, OR CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC.

Participants in an online discussion of the situation in the Krasnodar Krai tourism industry noted a decline in demand for vacations and declared a crisis in domestic tourism in the country as a whole.

From January 29 to 31, leading experts from the Krasnodar Krai discussed online the decline in demand for vacations in the region, financial problems, and the overall crisis in domestic tourism, Olga Yemelyanova, a representative of the press service of the AMOS Hoteliers Association, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. She provided the correspondent with the final minutes of the discussions.

Russians have begun spending less and saving more

"The main negative factor of the first month (of 2026 - Caucasian Knot note) in the region is not tourism, but economic - Russians have begun spending less and saving more," said Sergey Romashkin, Vice President of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), during online discussions.

"Hotel occupancy for the 2026 New Year holidays at popular resorts in the southern region has fallen to around 70% during peak dates compared to last year," Alexey Volkov, President of the National Union of the Hospitality Industry, presented statistics.

He also clarified: "Tourists are tired not of vacationing, but of the constant feeling of anxiety and uncertainty: will I get to the resort safely and return home without incident?"

Experts agree that "domestic travel is declining."

In my opinion, 2026 is the year of creative "weight loss" for hotels.

"If we're unlucky with the weather in the summer of 2026, the season will be worse than 2025. Plus, competition is growing. Tourists' purchasing power isn't improving, and hotels are forced to lower prices because they need to sell. The time has passed when hoteliers could stick a stick in the ground and it would bloom. Now is the time for sales, and you need to sell at the price they charge. In my opinion, 2026 is the year of creative "weight loss" for hotels. We need to “We have to figure out how to look good and keep costs at the same level,” says Alexander Gendelsman, Managing Partner of Zont Hotel Group.

Alexander Sandulsky, Founder of the Finoko web service, emphasized that this year, it is especially noticeable that “the tourism market is shaking.”

The participants of the broadcast also discussed the official appeal of Russian hoteliers to the Yandex.Travel service. The largest players in the tourism industry and hotel chains sent a collective appeal to the management of the Yandex service in connection with the planned increase in the base commission on the Yandex.Travel platform from 15% to 17%. The appeal was signed by industry representatives, collectively representing about 100,000 hotel rooms across the country.

Owner and Director Vladimir Masyutin, the management company of the Russian Seasons Hotel Group in Sirius, shared details during online discussions. "The document has been signed by 99% of management companies and virtually all hotel associations, including AMOS, FRiO, and others. This is the first time this has happened! And it's a great example of the hotel industry uniting. We also have the right to express our opinion. You see, Yandex now wants to increase its commission by 2%. But we all understand that this is only the first step. And then the story will repeat itself with taxi drivers, who initially paid 12%, and now 30%. Then everyone else will follow Yandex – Bronevik, Ostrovok… Yandex says they need money for development. But hoteliers also need money for development! If Yandex refuses our offer, then most likely many hoteliers will simply terminate their contracts. I would like to point out that Yandex2's share of sales from the management companies and operators who signed the appeal is not very high. However, the share of these properties in Yandex's sales is quite substantial – 100,000 high-quality rooms. And these 100,000 rooms are ready to give up Yandex.Travel," he noted.

Inclusive tourism will be a trend in 2026

Discussion participants discussed the law on inclusive tourism adopted at the end of last year, which requires ensuring accessibility of tourist infrastructure facilities for people with disabilities. "So, in 2026, inclusive tourism will be a trend. The return of disabled SVO participants and the resulting need to create an accessible environment, including in tourism," Alexey Volkov emphasized.

Despite Despite the disappointing forecasts, hoteliers agreed that they shouldn't give up. Sound financial accounting, an effective marketing strategy, and market cohesion are what will help tourism survive, according to participants in the online broadcast. A "Caucasian Knot" correspondent contacted several Russian residents by phone who had previously vacationed on the Black Sea but had cancelled their trips to the Krasnodar Krai last year and this year, both for the winter holidays and the summer. The survey is not representative and reflects only the personal opinions of respondents. "We wanted to go to Sochi with the whole family, as usual. In January, we ski in the mountains, and in the summer, we spend the summer at the beach. But this year, since the beginning, money has been catastrophically tight—hotel and airfare prices are sky-high. We took a vacation and are counting every penny, so we decided to stay home. We just want to relax, sleep, and forget," admitted a 42-year-old teacher from Yekaterinburg. Irina.

"I went to Anapa. But looking at the dirty sea after the oil spill in Anapa... neither I nor the kids want that. It's not a vacation, but a lack of confidence in one's health and safety," said Alexey

"My friend and I canceled our trip to Gelendzhik. I heard the sea there isn't the cleanest either. And even the reports of drones are already creating tension. Sochi and other coastal cities are constantly experiencing emergencies. My friend and I would rather go to the Caucasian Mineral Waters; at least the air is fresh there," said Maria, a student from Samara.

Sirius resident Natalya Solovieva noted that many hotels in the area They are empty or half-empty. “We’ve built a lot, but the hotels are empty or half-empty. People are afraid of drones, and no one is coming here. Previously, private business was our savior. We let in vacationers, and there was no end to them. Since the SVO, we haven’t even been able to earn enough to buy a crust of bread,” she said.

Previously, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that from the beginning of the year to the end of September, Anapa was visited by 1.5 million tourists, which is almost three million fewer than in the same period last year. Some tourists went to Anapa only because hotels and other accommodations were forced to offer significant discounts due to the fuel oil spill. Only 18,000 children attended Anapa’s children’s camps this year; in previous years, the city hosted 120,000-130,000 children. In terms of children’s recreation, Anapa still has several years to go after the fuel oil spill. href="https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/415810">to restore its reputation. At the end of the season, the tourist flow to Anapa fell by about 60%, which amounts to about a billion rubles. Anapa's sanatoriums and children's camps are teetering on the brink of closure due to a record drop in revenue.

The governor of the Krasnodar Territory set the goal of returning to pre-fuel oil levels of tourism in the Krasnodar Territory and assured that Anapa will be ready to receive tourists in 2026. Blogger Yuri Ozarovsky recorded a video message before the direct line with Putin asking for permission to open Anapa's beaches in 2026, assuring that there are practically no traces of fuel oil in the sea and on the shore. However, questions from Anapa... href="https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/419234">were not mentioned during the direct line. The New Year holidays showed a decline in the number of tourists in Anapa, but bookings for the May holidays, according to preliminary data, show a 10% increase compared to last year's data.