Geo: Radisson Zavidovo
Introduction
I’ve noticed that in recent years, the topic of tourism across our homeland has been developing particularly actively. I’m not judging this by professional exhibitions and conferences, but by architectural events. Having explored many cities in Europe and Russia, I can confidently say that architecture, in the context of tourism, allows one to fully immerse oneself in the culture and history of the place. What’s most interesting is that moving within even a small region can reveal so many cultural variations that it would be enough to write dozens of serious articles.
To understand the current state of the tourism industry, I spoke with Andrey Abramov (AA), the General Manager of the Radisson Zavidovo hotel.
PS The dialogue took place at the end of August this year, but its relevance has not faded.
"International Standards and Local Flavor"
GJ — How is the hotel industry feeling, and how have the needs of your clients changed over the past six months?
AA — Certainly, there are factors currently limiting people’s ability to travel. The first is that it’s quite difficult to go abroad now. Even if you have a visa or want to fly to countries where no visa is required, the cost of flights is relatively high. This limits people’s mobility outside the country. The second factor affecting domestic travel is the closure of airports in the south. As a result, we have become an alternative location. The Moscow region market (to which we belong) is doing very well this year. The circumstances have made our direction currently in demand.
This year (especially July and August) has been record-breaking in terms of hotel attendance since its opening. The trend will likely continue for the next two to three years.
Guest expectations, who are used to traveling abroad, have been significantly adjusted. But not now, rather during the pandemic period, when there was a similar situation, and people could not travel where they wanted.
GJ — How do you see the hotels in Russia?
AA — Before I answer, let me clarify that I prefer and often travel within the country.
The question can be answered from different angles. Firstly, it’s about the relevance of various investments and the value of accommodations. When I choose to go to, say, Kaluga, I look to see if there is an international brand. Can I stay at a hotel with a predictable and certain level of service? I don’t want my trip to be overshadowed by some domestic discomfort that I’ll have to worry about additionally. But there’s a "but."
I worked for a company whose motto (translated) is: "International standards and local flavor." This is important for regions. You should have standards that provide the level of service most guests are accustomed to, but at the same time, you need to let them feel the local flavor and the sensation that you are in a different region, in a different city.
GJ — And can Radisson in, say, Ryazan, harness the local flavor and provide developed infrastructure?
AA — I can’t say that a single hotel will make a location super attractive if there aren’t other points of attraction. No matter how good it is, it won’t solve the task of increasing tourist flow. But it will definitely allow the region to be attractive in terms of travel comfort. Our network alone has several million loyalty program members in Russia. And when they learn that a new hotel has opened in the same Ryazan, why not go there for a weekend from Moscow, where you will be comfortable, and you can explore the city’s specifics.
GJ — Considering you travel a lot in Russia, which regions, in your opinion, will become new tourist meccas?
AA — It’s hard to say definitively. A lot will depend on support measures. What’s the difficulty of traveling to the Trans-Baikal Territory, for example? The logistics are quite expensive. Considering the cost of flights (for example, to Irkutsk), how many potential tourists can afford to go there for 3−4 days? It’s a very acute question. Currently, many airlines are running promotions that encourage people to travel (for example, fly to Kazan for 1.5k rubles). This makes the city attractive.
The South (not only Sochi but also Anapa, Gelendzhik, and the neighboring area) will also develop very actively. Because the development possibilities of Sochi are limited, and the region as a whole is still undervalued.
Conclusion
Personally, I don’t care about the level of service in my travels. But I can’t disagree with the thesis that the main motivator for travel and the main emotional source in them is the local flavor. Where to look for it is up to everyone. But I prefer architecture.
Introduction
I’ve noticed that in recent years, the topic of tourism across our homeland has been developing particularly actively. I’m not judging this by professional exhibitions and conferences, but by architectural events. Having explored many cities in Europe and Russia, I can confidently say that architecture, in the context of tourism, allows one to fully immerse oneself in the culture and history of the place. What’s most interesting is that moving within even a small region can reveal so many cultural variations that it would be enough to write dozens of serious articles.
To understand the current state of the tourism industry, I spoke with Andrey Abramov (AA), the General Manager of the Radisson Zavidovo hotel.
PS The dialogue took place at the end of August this year, but its relevance has not faded.
"International Standards and Local Flavor"
GJ — How is the hotel industry feeling, and how have the needs of your clients changed over the past six months?
AA — Certainly, there are factors currently limiting people’s ability to travel. The first is that it’s quite difficult to go abroad now. Even if you have a visa or want to fly to countries where no visa is required, the cost of flights is relatively high. This limits people’s mobility outside the country. The second factor affecting domestic travel is the closure of airports in the south. As a result, we have become an alternative location. The Moscow region market (to which we belong) is doing very well this year. The circumstances have made our direction currently in demand.
This year (especially July and August) has been record-breaking in terms of hotel attendance since its opening. The trend will likely continue for the next two to three years.
Guest expectations, who are used to traveling abroad, have been significantly adjusted. But not now, rather during the pandemic period, when there was a similar situation, and people could not travel where they wanted.
GJ — How do you see the hotels in Russia?
AA — Before I answer, let me clarify that I prefer and often travel within the country.
The question can be answered from different angles. Firstly, it’s about the relevance of various investments and the value of accommodations. When I choose to go to, say, Kaluga, I look to see if there is an international brand. Can I stay at a hotel with a predictable and certain level of service? I don’t want my trip to be overshadowed by some domestic discomfort that I’ll have to worry about additionally. But there’s a "but."
I worked for a company whose motto (translated) is: "International standards and local flavor." This is important for regions. You should have standards that provide the level of service most guests are accustomed to, but at the same time, you need to let them feel the local flavor and the sensation that you are in a different region, in a different city.
GJ — And can Radisson in, say, Ryazan, harness the local flavor and provide developed infrastructure?
AA — I can’t say that a single hotel will make a location super attractive if there aren’t other points of attraction. No matter how good it is, it won’t solve the task of increasing tourist flow. But it will definitely allow the region to be attractive in terms of travel comfort. Our network alone has several million loyalty program members in Russia. And when they learn that a new hotel has opened in the same Ryazan, why not go there for a weekend from Moscow, where you will be comfortable, and you can explore the city’s specifics.
GJ — Considering you travel a lot in Russia, which regions, in your opinion, will become new tourist meccas?
AA — It’s hard to say definitively. A lot will depend on support measures. What’s the difficulty of traveling to the Trans-Baikal Territory, for example? The logistics are quite expensive. Considering the cost of flights (for example, to Irkutsk), how many potential tourists can afford to go there for 3−4 days? It’s a very acute question. Currently, many airlines are running promotions that encourage people to travel (for example, fly to Kazan for 1.5k rubles). This makes the city attractive.
The South (not only Sochi but also Anapa, Gelendzhik, and the neighboring area) will also develop very actively. Because the development possibilities of Sochi are limited, and the region as a whole is still undervalued.
Conclusion
Personally, I don’t care about the level of service in my travels. But I can’t disagree with the thesis that the main motivator for travel and the main emotional source in them is the local flavor. Where to look for it is up to everyone. But I prefer architecture.