Kaliningrad: Drop In Incoming Numbers

‘Local incoming market that previously returned the most of the profit to the region has drastically reduced comparing to last year figures’, said Alexander Shamshiev, General Director of Anyuta Travel Company, in the interview to a BANKO correspondent. He explained the current tendency by external changes. Thus, German pensioners, main clients for Kaliningrad travel companies, are now limited in their travel expenses. The Government of the Federal republic of Germany headed by the new Chancellor, Angela Merkel, abolished a range of benefits for pensioners, paid holidays in particular. Besides, cost of insurance has increased considerably. Furthermore, Alexander Shamshiev, pointed out that Moscow and St. Petersburg are also experiencing drop in incoming tourists owing the same reason. However, his colleagues – Marina Maslenok, Director of St. Petersburg travel agency Akval, and Natalia Balasheva, Commercial Director of Intourist, do not tend to explain further reduction of the tourist flow to Russia by external factors. ‘It is not right to say that Europe has become poorer. Rates in Russia are becoming higher’, commented Natalia Balasheva. Expetts say that such slump in the Kaliningrad market is the regional tendency. Thus, Svetlana Konopleva, Executive Director of Svena-tour, emphasized the peculiarity of the inbound tourism to Kaliningrad. ‘It is so called ‘nostalgic tourism’. The majority of tourists coming to the region are German citizens who used to live or visit Koenigsberg. It is logical the numbers are dropping’. The current slump in incoming numbers is compensated by the growth of business tourism in the region, however, the development of the industry will require the construction of new hotels.