Rosstat predicts “local conflicts” in the regions between tourists and local residents

Kirill Rodin, Director of Work with public authorities at VTSIOM, admitted an increase in the number of “local conflicts” between tourists and local residents in the regions of Russia.

The unofficial forecast was made on March 19 during a conference at the MITT exhibition dedicated to tourism trends and prospects for the season. Presenting the results of the study “Socio-demographic profile of a tourist”, Kirill Rodin touched upon the problems that arise in the regions due to the influx of guests. According to him, the tourist flow that “leaves a bunch of plastic bottles on the shore” is not needed by anyone.

At the height of the season, the infrastructure on the ground is overloaded. In addition, there is a misunderstanding due to cultural differences. “A resident of a megalopolis is a spoiled subject. Therefore, local businesses are not always ready to accept his mentality,” the expert said. 

Another problem is that the influx of tourists leads to seasonal price increases, which also generates conflicts. According to Rodin, they are likely to occur more often and become a barrier to the development of tourism.

Nevertheless, the study showed that the overall level of holiday satisfaction in Russia is growing. 36% of the participants in the VTSIOM survey noticed improvements. More and more tourists are involved in educational trips around the country. Moreover, a typical tourist researcher is a middle-aged woman with good income living in a million-plus city. In addition, according to Rodin, the previously very stable “mental construct” that holidays in Russia are too expensive and cheaper in Turkey is beginning to collapse.

Commentators on the telegram channel “Roof of the Tourist House” agree: the problems mentioned by the representative of VTSIOM are relevant. This is due to the fact that not all residents in the regions earn money from receiving guests. Many face costs in the form of garbage or the inability to buy air tickets. So, in 2021, our editorial board published a frank letter from a resident of Sakhalin – she called the subsidization of charter flights with tourists a mockery, since due to the lack of regular transportation, local residents cannot go on vacation and are forced to purchase tickets for fabulous money.

Problems are felt not only in regions where the tourist flow has increased sharply, but also in large cities. “Seasonality in Moscow is year-round, mass city events are full of excitement (I give way to the guests of the capital)… like all theaters / museums on holidays,” one of the subscribers wrote. However, such problems are observed in many countries where tourism is booming. The authorities are forced to impose restrictions. For example, in Florence, daily rent of apartments in the historical center was banned. Venice has introduced QR codes to visit the city and limited the number of tourist groups.

Источник