The opening of beaches has become a driver of demand for vacations in Anapa.

The number of bookings in Anapa has significantly increased compared to last year, with tour operators reporting data ranging from 17 to 129 percent. The opening of beaches after being filled with imported sand has become one of the factors driving demand. Some tourists arrived due to difficulties with the road to Crimea and a fuel shortage, but fuel disruptions in Kuban create risks.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", 83 beaches in Anapa are open, and another 14 are undergoing inspection, according to the Russian government. The sand used to fill the beaches has compacted and is not very suitable for recreation, users of social networks pointed out. Other commentators expressed hope that the imported sand would gradually be washed away by the sea.

Demand for vacations in Anapa has increased

Anapa became the most popular resort in the Krasnodar region in the summer of 2026, with demand increasing by a third compared to last year, said the president of the National Union of Hospitality Industry Aleksey Volkov.

"This year, Anapa is becoming the leader in tourist demand and even in investment attractiveness. Tourist interest has increased by 30% compared to last year," he told RIA "Novosti".

The significant increase in demand for Anapa among vacationers is associated with the emergence of new hotels, good infrastructure, and wide opportunities for children's recreation, he believes.

Before the start of summer, the dynamics were 45–50% compared to last year, and in June, the number of bookings increased by 100% compared to the same period in 2025, said the Vice President of ATOR and General Director of the tour operator "Dolphin" Sergey Romashkin.

More than double dynamics – 129% – is also recorded in the summer period by "Russian Express", but with a caveat: such a high percentage was obtained against the backdrop of almost no applications at the beginning of the last season, so it is more about active demand recovery than a sales boom. "Intourist" reports a smooth but steady increase of 25%, predicting a peak in demand in the second half of July. The national tour operator ALEAN reports a 36% increase in bookings for arrivals in July and August, writes "Vestnik ATOR".

18:01 04.07.2026

The quality of sand on Anapa beach has raised concerns among Telegram users

On the "Caucasus" beach, where the new sand filling has recently been completed, strong waves expose hard pieces resembling concrete debris.

Reports of the readiness of equipped swimming areas quickly affect bookings – tourists closely follow the news agenda, ALEAN is confident.

According to tour operators, with an average hotel occupancy in Anapa at 60%, there is no systemic shortage of places. At the same time, as noted in ALEAN, hotels operating on an "all-inclusive" basis are in the highest demand, while guest houses and the economy segment show unstable occupancy and are forced to adjust prices more actively to attract guests.

Even with active demand, according to "Dolphin", at the beginning of August, 120 out of 140 properties are available for booking – 85% of the resort's room stock remains open. Sales pauses (stop-sales) are rare and primarily affect family rooms, apartments, and connections designed for larger groups.

The head of the domestic tourism and CIS department of the tour operator Let’s Fly (part of the "Sletat.ru" group of companies, a member of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry) Sergey Vasin noted that there is a booking halt in a number of hotels for certain summer dates due to maximum occupancy, TASS reports.

"The increase in demand for tours to Anapa for the high season of 2026 compared to the same period last year is about 17%. For certain dates, stop-sales are already being recorded, but it is too early to talk about a systemic shortage of rooms," he said.

The main stimuli for demand growth have been the opening of beaches and the established summer weather. The huge selection of hotels operating not only on an "all-inclusive" basis but also on an "ultra all-inclusive" basis is also attractive.

Fuel shortages have affected tourist flow

A separate factor is fuel disruptions in Crimea. Some tourists who planned to travel to the peninsula have redirected to the Krasnodar region. Estimates of the scale of the redirection vary: "Multitour" reports 20% rebookings in favor of Anapa, while ALEAN reports 50% in favor of Kuban and Abkhazia as a whole. "Intourist" emphasizes that the main beneficiary of the Crimean crisis has not been Anapa, but Gelendzhik – it is there that a significant portion of tourists has gone. Anapa itself, according to their estimates, received only about 10% of rebookings.

However, fuel problems have extended beyond the peninsula and created risks for auto tourists throughout the south. As noted in "Intourist", many tourists traditionally planned road trips, and now the logistics of traveling by car is becoming a serious challenge for them regardless of the direction.

Prices in Anapa have increased slightly

The increase in occupancy of Anapa hotels has not led to inflated rates. Anapa hoteliers adhere to a restrained pricing policy, striving to regain guest loyalty. Sergey Romashkin estimates the average price increase year-on-year at only 3–4%. "Intourist" and Let's Fly report comparable figures – 5–7%.

According to him, prices for accommodation in Anapa hotels in the summer of 2026 have increased on average by 5-7% compared to the same period in 2025. With the increase in occupancy and the approach of the high season, prices are gradually rising, while each hotel applies an individual strategy.

Bloggers confirmed the increase in the number of tourists

Max Anapsky writes about the increase in the number of tourists on the beach in his Telegram channel Max Anapsky. "There are a lot more vacationers, the season has kicked off!" he wrote.

Yuri Ozarovsky published a photo from the beach on Svetlaya Street in Vityazevo.

"There are more people here than anywhere else, even though I took the photos in the morning, not yet peak time," he commented on the pictures.

On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel sank in the Kerch Strait. As a result, a crew member of one of the tankers died. Additionally, there was an oil spill, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Oil spill in the Kerch Strait".

Materials on the consequences of the oil spill have been collected by the "Caucasian Knot" on the page "Ecological disaster in Kuban".