On the background of the crisis in the tourist market due to the spread of COVID-19 business “Support of Russia” tries to achieve the resumption of discussions by the authorities of the plan of implementation of the strategy on tourism development until 2035. However, some market participants warn that to implement the strategy now, in principle, impossible: the document is aimed at development of inbound tourism, which was banned. The planned allocation of program funds they propose to spend in support of existing players, although the measures for tour operators of outbound tourism has already failed.”Support of Russia” has addressed with the letter (a copy is in “Kommersant”) to the head of Ministry of Economics Maxim Reshetnikov with a request to discuss with representatives of the business community implementation plan for the strategy on tourism development until 2035 and to provide measures to support entrepreneurs working in the sphere of internal tourism. The organization emphasized that the measures support domestic tourism during the meeting with Primorye territory Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said Vladimir Putin. Their training in early April, announced the Federal tourism Agency and Ministry of economy, but, according to the “Support” from the business community, specific measures were discussed.Strategy officially approved in September 2019. The document, in particular, provides for increasing the export of tourism services for the period of the three times — from $8.9 billion to $28.6 billion per year. The industry needs to ensure that not less than 6% of GDP, it was also planned to increase domestic flows. The Chairman of the Union of tourism and hospitality (STH) Roman Yeremyan indicates that, despite the fact that usually the implementation plan was adopted together with the strategy, now since its approval it has been seven months. “Now it wants to revise, but this can slow down the development of the industry for an indefinite period,” he says. In the economy, in turn, explain that the plan of implementation of the document have already been discussed with representatives of the professional community. Taking into account the instructions of the President about the preparation of a recovery in economic activity and distribution problems COVID-19 plan will be actualized with the participation of business representatives, the Ministry added.Vice-President “Support of Russia” Alexey Kozhevnikov calls the main problem of the industry the low profitability: for hotels it is 3-5% and tour operator business are 2%. According to him, this is due to the big losses, lack of investment and administrative barriers. At the same time the General Director of tour operator “Dolphin” Sergey Romashkin indicates that the indicators for implementation of the strategy in any case have to endure or correct: right now they are unattainable. “The document relies on increase in arrivals and provides these��R, subsidizing exhibition activities, but entry to Russia is now closed, and the mass of the event is forbidden,” he says.Mr. Romashkin said that the money the allocation of which was laid this year, it is advisable to provide support for existing players. Until now, individual measures of support in the current crisis was announced only for tour operators operating in an away market. So, in early April, the government issued a decree on the allocation from the reserve Fund of 3.5 billion roubles for subsidies to offset the costs of compensation by the tour operators cost of non-refundable tickets and arrange flights on the removal of the Russians from foreign countries. But the representative of the Russian Union of travel industry Irina Tyurina pointed out that, in fact, receive the money now, you can only export routes, the cost of which will provide documentary evidence. “Money for non-refundable tickets can obtain only tour operators who have already paid the tourists, but to do so market participants are unable, because they do not have the funds,” she explains.The second measure of support provided for payments to travelers from the Fund personal liability of the tour operators, which has long sought industry associations. But in the end the opportunity was unclaimed: Ms. Tyurina indicates that she has used 35 companies from 531 existing players. “In order to access this money, market participants must first make the Fund an annual fee that market participants have no money. On the one hand, we seem to be heard, on the other — did all that the tour operators this measure is not used,” says the expert.Alexandra Mertsalova
