Yuri Vladimirov
Director of the Sochi seaport
In 2023, Sochi plans to set a record and have about 8 mn of tourists, which is 1 mn more than last year. Such records are explained by the difficult geopolitical situation and the problems of international logistics. Against the backdrop of an active growth in the number of travellers choosing a vacation in Sochi, the capital of the 2014 Olympics, transport hubs are actively developing in Sochi. The seaport founded in 1934 is among them. Today, the cruise harbour includes two passenger piers, their total length is 730 metres. The international terminal can serve over 1,200 people. During the Soviet Union, cruises to the countries of the Black Sea coast started from here. Today, the strategic task is to become the centre of cruises in the south of Russia. So far, the Sochi seaport is the only one in Russia from where a large international cruise liner is employed on scheduled runs. The EcoTourism Expert’s correspondent asked Yuri Vladimirov, Director of the Sochi seaport, about the changes in the Sochi harbour over the past few years and prospects for the development in the near future.
- Today, the attention of the Russian travellers, as well as operators, using domestic and international transportation, is focused on the Sochi seaport. Please tell us about the work of the seaport: what has changed since the 2014 Olympic Games? How is maritime traffic developing?
During the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the seaport was reconstructed, a marina was built for yachts, the infrastructure was updated, so the seaport became more functional. In recent years, there have been changes for the better in the work of the seaport, the cruises to Turkey were launched, and the Astoria Grande liner managed by Miray Cruises was employed on scheduled runs in 2022. Today, it is the only ship that cruises from Russia abroad. Another liner, Prince Vladimir, was launched in 2023, it offers cruises to the Republic of Abkhazia and has already made several voyages this season. In 2021, cabotage transportation between Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik and Sochi was resumed and it operates during the summer season, including September, the load is always 100% and tickets are purchased in advance.
- All vessels at the seaport are involved in work, what effect does this have on the harbour?
The effect is positive because the vessels are loaded and used, which means that the money goes into the seaport budget and helps maintain its infrastructure, the seaport requires significant expenses.
- Which vessel operators arrive at the Sochi seaport most often? Are European ones among them?
We are open for cooperation with all operators and consider all requests we receive. All kind of operators appear from time to time. There were also European ones, several foreign requests came from Turkey, and there were Russian operators, too. As for the foreign ones, a Turkish passenger ferry, accommodating up to 300 passengers and designed for 200 cars, maybe, will start operating soon.
The Turkish ferry was planned to be launched last summer…
Yes, the ferry was planned to be launched last summer, this issue is under consideration now. I can say that our seaport is ready to receive the ferry because it has a terminal designed for cars that can be transported on the ferry, and we have also provided safety measures in it.
- What will the launch of a ferry to Turkey give to the Russian side, in particular to Sochi?
The launch of the Turkish ferry will help in increasing the passenger traffic and starting the development of small businesses, because the ferry can transport declared goods, including auto parts for foreign cars. One part of the ferry is for the vacationers and travellers, the other part is for commercial cargoes. So, this can be used for transportation of the cars of the tourists who prefers travelling by cars on their vacations. As the transportation of cars, including minibuses and buses, can be made, people can use a transportation route to deliver purchased goods, which is not bad for parallel imports. This option is promising and the transportation line will develop very quickly.
- I remember, a ship to Abkhazia was launched in 2021. Why this route is not working today?
The ships were employed on scheduled runs to Abkhazia in 2021, but now, there are no new orders from operators for passenger transportation, there were not many requests from operators last year and there were none in 2023.
What is your opinion about the dynamics of passenger traffic to the Sochi seaport taking into account international and domestic transportation and the growing popularity of the seaport in recent years?
Passenger traffic at the Sochi seaport has been growing steadily since 2021. We transported 92,234 passengers in 2021. In 2022, this figure increased to 113,023. By the end of 2023, our plan is to serve 130,000 passengers at the seaport; we have already served 90,167 people during seven months this year.
- Is this growth explained by сlosed borders and the only operating airport in the region?
These two reasons also explain the growth. But the main factor in the growth of passenger traffic at the Sochi seaport was transportation. The growth in the number of passengers is directly related to the launch of the Turkish cruise liner Astoria Grande that is loaded almost 80 percent during the season. The dynamics of passenger growth at the Sochi seaport is influenced by the work of the Griffin catamaran and the Kometa motor ships plying from one port to another between the resort cities of the Krasnodar Territory. Tickets for them are purchased in advance, and their passengers are the vacationers who mainly fly to Sochi and then go to the resorts of the region.
- It is already known that the Astoria Grande cruise liner’s new routes from Sochi to Egypt’s Alexandria will be launched this fall. Will this cause the growth in the passenger traffic to the Sochi seaport?
We expect, of course, an increase in passenger traffic to our seaport in connection with the new Egyptian direction of the Turkish cruise liner, but most likely, it will not be large.
The situation with international cruises and domestic transportation is clear, but what about the yachts? Experts noted this year that there were not enough places in the marina of the Sochi seaport.
Indeed, there is a high increase in demand for mooring in our seaport as the number of those ships that came to us from abroad after the sanctions were imposed and during the coronavirus pandemic slightly increased. We have seen an active demand for mooring in the Sochi marina since 2020; nothing has changed since 2021, the only thing is that there are more boats from the Crimea by 5%. Our berths are all operational, and there are mooring spaces in the marina.
- Do you plan to create new ones to avoid a shortage of mooring places in the Sochi seaport’s marina?
We do not exclude this, but it is too early to talk about this.
- With such a number of coastal and foreign ships and almost fully occupied marina, how is safety maintained at the seaport? Have measures been taken to improve it?
We increased the inspection of coastal vessels at a special berth in the Krasnodar Territory last year; the vessels began to be inspected by the line department of the police, seaport and marina employees. Earlier, ships entered the marina directly, but now, they are placed at berth 14, checked, and only then brought into the marina.
- Are these the only safety measures applied at the seaport?
Recently, for the first time, ten years after the Sochi Olympics, we categorized the berths No.6 and No.7, the third category level of transport safety was assigned. Inspection points were installed at berths No.5, No.6 and No.7. For passengers, this means that access to the piers and boats is only possible with an ID card and a ticket, otherwise, people cannot enter these places now. Also, there are cameras in the seaport’s area and the number of inspection points has been increased. Those vessels that carry out trips inside Sochi are also inspected.
- What are the seaport’s plans to develop the transportation? What prospects have already been outlined for the development of the Sochi seaport?
We are open to cooperation with everyone who applies for mooring and work to be done at the seaport. The orders for transportation cargoes help increase the passenger traffic, so we plan to develop it as much as possible. Orders come to the seaport and we consider them as soon as possible. For now, we do our best to complete the reconstruction of the part of the seaport building, we consider incoming requests and ensure the safety at the seaport.
- Are there any plans to resume the ‘sea taxis’ in the near future as it was in the Soviet times?
This is a complex question, it’s too early to tell anything certain. Today, the seaport offers taxis - yacht trips between city districts. But we are considering the possibility of developing additional lines at the Sochi seaport.
Additional information:
As Elena Pavlenko, chief specialist of the Research Institute of Advanced Urban Development responsible for transport planning in the framework of the Sochi draft master plan, told the EcoTourism EXPERT’s correspondent that Rosmorport is considering the possibility of reconstructing the Sochi harbour and seven outdated passenger berths in Adler, Kurgorodok, Khosta, Dagomys, Loo, Lazarevsky and in Matsesta. A similar document has already been published in the electronic fund of regulatory documents.
