Experts evaluated the consequences for tourism closing beaches in Anapa
The unpreparedness of Rospotrebnadzor open the beaches of Anapa and Temryuk for the cancellation of 10% of the planned trips. Experts do not exclude that as a result, one of the key Russian resorts in the summer season can visit half as much tourists than usual. Approximately 2–2.5 million people reorient on trips to Crimea, Dagestan and popular foreign countries. In some cases, this can lead to an increase in prices: rest in Yalta and the Kaliningrad region is already a third more than a year earlier.
The statement of the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova on the unsuitability of part of the beaches of Anapa, Temryuk and adjacent battles led to the abolition of 10% of the planned trips, said “Kommersant” by the Vice-President of the Association of Russian Tour operators (ATOR) Sergey Romashkin. The effect was not too pronounced due to the fact that many adjusted the plans at the beginning of the year (See “Kommersant” from January 17), he explained. The head of the international projects « Slov.ru » Lyubov Voronin also records a noticeable number of annuations. At the city hall, Anapa abstained from comments.
The interest of tourists in rest in Anapa began to decline after December 15, 2024 in the Kerch Strait crashed Tankers Volgonft-212 and Volgonft-239: about 2.4 thousand tons of oil products hit the sea. On April 18, 2025, Anna Popova said that 141 beach in the Anapa district and 9 in Temryuksky in terms of pollution and sanitary standards cannot be used as part of the summer health campaign.
Sergei Romashkin explains that annually 4–4.5 million people usually rest in Anapa. This year, according to its forecasts, the indicator can be reduced to 2–2.5 million people.
The representative of Intourist Daria Domostroeva believes that the demand for Anapa hotels will decrease by 50–85% year by the year, depending on the object. The Russian Express tour operator calls the volume of reservations for the summer minimal: in May, sales amounted to 20-30% of last year. Ontwotrip says that sales for May -August are three times less than a year by the year. The share of the resort in the total sales for the year decreased from 1.5% to 0.3%.
They are sent to Anapa, according to Mrs. Domostroeva, mainly tourists who expect to spend a vacation at All Inclusive hotels with a pool. In an effort to hold a tourist flow, hotels can offer discounts. Onetwotrip notes that the average cost of a booked night in Anapa in May -August is 5 thousand rubles, which is 28% less than a year for a year. The average cost of the tour sold, according to “Slight.ru”, decreased by 7.6%, to 120 thousand rubles. Although Mr. Romashkin doubts that the rate of prices will ultimately be justified: only very significant discounts can stimulate sales, which will harm the business of local entrepreneurs. The hotels were in the worst position compared to tour operators who diversify the risks.
The deputy general director for sales of the Demop sanatorium in Anapa Marina Procepova says that many hotels and sanatoriums offer discounts up to 40%. But this practically does not increase loading. Only 25-30% of seats against 75–80% a year earlier were sold in the summer, and the depth of reservation is only 14 days, the expert explains. Deputy Head of the Tourism Committee of “Rossiya Russia” in Anapa Kirill Irchenko says that hoteliers are trying to attract guests at the expense of additional services: excursions, master classes, entertainment programs for children.
The main stream of guests who refused a summer vacation in Anapa is reoriented to the Crimea, said Sergey Romashkin. This can add a 1–1.5 million profitable peninsula.
Sales of tours to the Crimea this year already went 25-30% better than in the past, the situation in Anapa can provide additional growth by 15%. “Both resorts 75% of tourists have come in their own cars in recent years, this is the same road, and there and there there are a lot of sandy beaches,” the expert explains.
The Russian Express reminds that after 2022 the situation was the exact opposite: just Anapa pulled off part of the Crimean tourist flow. Daria Domostroeva says that at the stage of early reservations, the sales of Crimea doubled last year. This allows you to form a good forecast for the season as a whole, but the demand will limit the demand: there are few tickets for trains, not everyone is ready to go by car.
Sergei Romashkin does not exclude that some travelers can reorient in Dagestan. The composition of tourists in the region is changing: if in previous years 90% formed an excursion flow, now more than half of applications are precisely a beach vacation, he explains. Demand for the region, according to the expert, is now 30–40% higher than last year. Sochi, according to the representative of the Russian Express, will be less attracted to tourists. Mrs. Domostroeva believes that tourists with passports will rather give preference to massive foreign directions – for example, Turkey and Egypt, where the cost of rest is reduced after strengthening the ruble.
Prices for beach holidays within the country in conditions of high demand, on the contrary, are rising. According to Onetwotrip, the average cost of a hotel booked room in Yalta added 30% to the year, in Gelendzhik – 17%. In both cases, the value reached 10 thousand rubles. per day. Travelata.ru notes that the average cost of a tour of the sold in the Kaliningrad region for the summer is 80.1 thousand rubles, which is more than 33.6% a year by the year. Daria Domostroeva draws attention to the fact that hotels are now working mainly according to the system of dynamic pricing: sales growth stimulates prices.
