Summer at the last year's price
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Summer at the last year's price

Expert Reports  
06-01-2020
 

The health resorts and centres in Sochi will not raise prices for their packages in the upcoming summer season. According to TASS, the preliminary estimates by the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Krasnodar Territory show that the industry losses can be 11-12 bn roubles. The Sochi’s healing complexes are not going to cover them at the expense of their tourists.

- On June 1, 65 health resorts and centres having medical licenses may reopen in Sochi. We work with most of them and they follow their pricing policy. There are several resorts that have even reduced their prices. For example, the Bridge Resort decided to continue their Open South Programme intended for the offseason, which means that package prices will be even 10-15 percent lower, said Dmitry Pan, the director on the development at the the Rosyugkurort tour tour operator.

The head of the Oktyabrsky Health Resort, Olga Zaslavskaya emphasized that the resort would work according to the approved prices without increasing them.

- The package will cost 3,000 roubles per person per day. All prices are approved and have not been increased by a single rouble. The sales are in full swing and we sell our health resort packages for a sum of 2-3 mn roubles a day. Now, 85 percent packages are sold, in the summer, the figure will be 100 percent,” Olga Zaslavskaya said.

She also underlined that all the Russian Federal Service's for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) (the consumer health supervision agency) regulations were observed at their health resort. Masks, gloves, new disinfectors were provided and one tonne of special agents was spent to disinfect the territory. A 350-ml disinfector is in each room.

- We have our own access to the beach, we will let only tested people to it. Even now, we monitor our employees’ health, take their temperature in the morning and evening. A shuttle service will be arranged for our guests. If the bus is designed for 80 seats, only 40 passengers will use it,” Olga Zaslavskaya emphasized.

The Zelyonaya Roshcha (Green Grove) Health Centre said that during the lockdown in April and May, their Centre did not receive about 50 mn roubles of profit planned from the sale of their packages. But the price from June 1 will be at the last year’s level, 4,990 roubles per day per person.

- In June, a package - the accommodation plus meals and treatment - costs 4,990 roubles, it does not make sense to raise the price, otherwise, the people will show no interest. Moreover, such a price can significantly reduce the cost of staying at our health resort in the offseason, during the Open South Programme,” explained Elena Agarkova, the head of the Centre’s booking, marketing and promotion department.

Their Centre is designed for 394 persons, now it is 100 percent booked for the summer months. However, they think that in the first month, it will be occupied by 30 per cent only.

- Our guests cancel their bookings for reasons beyond our control. For example, in the Kaluga Region, travelling outside the region for tourism or recreation is restricted. If the ban is not lifted, the people simply will not be able to come to Sochi. On the other hand, this will make it easier to enter the difficult season,” Elena Agarkova said.

Many guests are embarrassed by the Rospotrebnadzor’s requirement to provide information on everybody’s epidemiological environment. Previously, it was required for children only.

- Our potential guests call and tell us that there is no clarity in obtaining certificates for their epidemiological environment, the Rospotrebnadzor informed that the outpatients' clinics should provide this information, and these clinics say that they do not provide such information and advise to contact the Rospotrebnadzor. This is just a vicious circle, but we cannot accept a tourist without a certificate and a COVID-19 negative analysis result,” they said at this Health Centre.

The management of the Burgas, one of the oldest corporate holiday centres in Sochi, is doubtful of the possibility of working if they observe all the Rospotrebnadzor’s regulations.

- One of the requirements is to ensure a weekly lab testing of the employees for COVID-19. With a staff of 150 people and the cost of one test being 1,800 roubles, the monthly costs of the Centre for testing will amount to more than one million roubles, not to mention the fact that the Rospotrebnadzor website mentions only four accredited laboratories in the region. Much money will be required to purchase disinfectants, skin antiseptics, personal protective means, as their minimum quantity at the Centre should be at least for five days. Taking into account that the loss of our Centre for the first half of the year due to the lockdown will be about 65 mn roubles, it will be very difficult to reopen the Centre and fulfill all the requirements,” said Irina Bolshevykh, the director general of the the Burgas.

Irina Bolshevykh noted that the Health Resort has a medical license and the right to receive guests from June 1, and they plan to start working from the middle of the next month so that about 50% of the rooms could be occupied. The Centre will operate at a loss but they are not going to raise prices - these have already been announced: on average, the cost of their package in a standard double room in June will be 3,200 roubles per person per day.

- Today, it is very important for us to fulfill our obligations towards our guests and partners who have already made advance payments early in the year. The money was invested in the overhaul of the seven-storied building that will soon open its doors,” Irina Bolshevykh said.

The summer season in Sochi starts on June 1. What it will be is not clear yet. Experts believe that even if the health resorts and holiday centres are 80-85 per cent full in the summer and autumn seasons, they will be at a loss at the end of the year anyway.