Official: Russian tourism industry suffers 1.5 tln rbl losses

MOSCOW, May 25 (PRIME) -- The coronavirus pandemic hit the Russian tourism industry hard, revenue shortfalls reach 1.5 trillion rubles and 2.5 million people are on the brink of unemployment, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said in a news conference on Monday.

“Our national tourism is one of the industries that suffered most losses. The nosedive of the turnover amounted from 95% to 100% and revenue shortfalls reached 1.5 trillion rubles according to the estimate of the Federal Tourism Agency,” he said.

“There are 2.5 million people directly engaged with the industry, and they are under the threat of losing their jobs.”

He also said that a requirement for all people that enter Russia to stay in quarantine for two weeks will remain. The Federal Tourism Agency’s recommendations to refrain from travel outside Russia will also stay, he said.

There are no prerequisites for the government to allow outbound tourism.

“Our citizens are in need of recreation, and we are all waiting for the time when we are able to travel. This is a basic need of a modern man, but we see no prerequisites for restoration of outbound tourism flows now. Data of the World Tourism Organization of the UN shows that the amount of countries that introduced restrictions on tourism travels over the coronavirus reached 100%,” he said.

Zarina Doguzova, head of a tourism agency, said that there are no prospects for fast recovery of international tourism in the world, and government efforts are focused on ensuring safe recreation for Russians within the country.

RECOVERY PLAN

Chernyshenko also said that the tourism agency and the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare Oversight would publish recommendations for the health spa centers and hotels before June 1.

“The government is working on regulations that would ensure swift opening of the tourism industry, including hotels, resorts, beaches, cruises, and so on. Relevant recommendations of the human welfare watchdog and the tourism agency will be published before June 1, and it will allow the industry to understand the rules under which they will operate in the new reality and the dates for their relaunch,” he said.

Health spa centers with medical licenses will be reopened at the first stage, he said.

The government’s priority is to relaunch Russia’s internal tourism safely and in a controlled way in the first half of summer. The government will start lifting restrictions from June 1. It was made possible by government’s measures for prevention of spreading of the coronavirus, this is why strict compliance with the measures will remain the major condition, he said.

The regions should also prepare for incoming tourists, and should start preparing their infrastructure immediately. The government will announce the support measures for the tourism industry very soon, he added.

Doguzova also said that the agency was ready to work out and coordinate recommendations and stages for the relaunch of the tourism industry this week.

“Our operating task is to work together with the human welfare watchdog this week and to coordinate recommendations and stages for all subjects of the tourism industry to withdraw from the quarantine starting from June 1. This is about hotels and other placement centers like recreational centers and boarding houses, touristic and recreational territories, beaches, cruises, and others,” she said.

(71.8804 rubles – U.S. $1)

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