Maria Girich on the problems of tourism development in Russia

Maria Girich on the problems of tourism development in Russia
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Maria Girich, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department, commenting for Nezavisimaya Gazeta on the Russian Accounts Chamber’s report on inefficient spending on the construction of modular hotels in the country, referred to issues of long-term development of the tourism industry in Russia, including pricing and visa restrictions.

"Modular hotels are a good way to develop tourist accommodation in terms of the possibility of rapid construction, moving structures. Nevertheless, as the Accounts Chamber notes, a number of administrative issues have been identified in the regions, such as construction of housing on land not intended for temporary accommodation (agricultural land), non-compliance with safety requirements for installation and operation, purchase at the expense of subsidies of structures with worse characteristics, etc..

If we talk about the long-term development of tourism, we can note the issue of price growth. Modular non-capital accommodation facilities generally exceed the average market prices, and this is the most important factor for the development of tourism. According to the Russian Union of Travel Industry, prices for accommodation in Russia in 2024 compared to 2023 increased by 16–20%.

We would emphasize an important area of tourism development is the attraction of foreign tourists. For example, according to the Chinese Tourism Academy, every year more than 2 mn patients from China go to foreign countries for treatment. Moreover, health tourism is one of the most priority directions for foreign tourists, especially rural tourism, including opportunities to live in the fresh air, to engage in sports and health procedures, etc., which is one of the most important directions of tourism development. However, the direction faces visa restrictions and the need to promote Russian recreational services abroad", said the expert.

Tuesday, 08.07.2025