Prices at ski resorts in Sochi on New Year's Eve were equal to the "Alpine"

Budget hotels in Krasnaya Polyana have risen in price by 30-50%, upscale - by 100%. Against the background of high demand, the cost of Sochi vacation in some cases exceeds the "Alpine"

Yulia Suntsova

Up to 50% of organized tourists go to the Krasnodar Territory for the New Year. In terms of the number of bookings and sales, Sochi is predictably the most popular Russian destination, due to the presence of the best ski resorts in Russia. About 80% of skiers who have purchased vouchers through tour operators have also chosen Sochi for winter skiing, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

Prices for ski resorts themselves have grown across Russia by 10-20% compared to the "dockyard" year 2019. Business owners are raising tariffs due to the limited choice of foreign destinations and due to losses already incurred over the past two years, experts say. New Year's holidays have pushed the prices for winter holidays here to record highs.

For example, the cost of the most budget holiday in Krasnaya Polyana during the New Year holidays at the Dolphin tour operator starts from 52 thousand rubles for two (without a flight). After the New Year holidays, a similar tour will cost 32 thousand.

"Russian Express" offers a five-day New Year's tour to Krasnaya Polyana in a 4 * hotel with breakfasts from 140 thousand rubles for two (without flight), and a ticket on the same conditions with arrival on January 10 will cost from 61 thousand rubles. On the mountain cluster "Gazprom" all the same will cost a third more. The Multitour company offers tours to all Russian ski areas. The cost of a week's rest at Rosa Khutor starts at this tour operator from 135 thousand rubles for two (without a flight), in February - 113 thousand rubles.

Only the tour operator TUI launches its own charters for winter tourists to Sochi, its transportation program is valid from December 29 to March 25. Flights are operated from Moscow on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. And from December 31 to March 18, on Fridays, flights to Sochi will be offered as part of package tours aboard Ural Airlines. Prices for New Year's tour packages to the Sochi mountain cluster at TUI start at 135 thousand rubles. for two (with air travel included). The same thing after the holidays - from 61.2 thousand rubles.

Intourist sells New Year's tours to Krasnaya Polyana resorts with flights to Sochi from 32 Russian cities: from Arkhangelsk to Krasnoyarsk. The cost with the included air travel for this tour operator starts at 165.6 thousand rubles for two. After the holidays, a similar tour package will cost 106 thousand rubles.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FLY YOURSELF?

The cheapest round-trip flight Moscow-Adler, Adler-Moscow, for example, on the dates of December 30 and January 9, today costs 14.5 thousand rubles per person. This is an economy class in the Yakut "Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise". Ural Airlines or Red Wings can fly two thousand more. For two adults, respectively - from 29 thousand rubles.

According to the selection on Booking, prices for 4 * hotels in Krasnaya Polyana for the same dates - from December 30 to January 9 - start at 110 thousand rubles for two. 5 * hotels in Krasnaya Polyana for 10 days - from 204 thousand rubles for two.

For backpackers, hostels in Krasnaya Polyana are available from 14 thousand rubles per person for 10 nights on these dates, the room and amenities with such accommodation, however, will have to be shared with 2-10 neighbors and sleep on a bunk bed.

Apartments (guesthouses) for a family are available for the same 10 days at an initial price of 47-62 thousand rubles.

However, the average prices for a room in 4 * and 5 * hotels on New Year's days are still 160-200 thousand rubles for 10 days for two, the ceiling that Booking offers is 750-800 thousand rubles.

According to the service of booking and renting accommodation Ostrovok, the cost of hotels in Krasnaya Polyana for the New Year holidays increased, depending on the "star rating" by 10 - 50%. The average check per night in a three-star hotel has grown from 8.8 thousand rubles to 9.7 thousand rubles, that is, by 10%. "Fours" have risen in price to 24.9 thousand rubles, that is, by 40%. Five-star hotels have risen in price by 50%, an average of 39 thousand rubles per night for two.

A poll by VTsIOM last week showed that 80% of Russians in one way or another do not plan to go anywhere for the new year and will meet 2022 at home. The estimated cost of the New Year's table and celebrations without travel has increased by 20% compared to last year. Families with regular salaries simply cannot afford ski resorts.

The increase in prices is not related to the limitation of the offer for accommodation. Even today there are vacant rooms, including in budget hostels, boarding houses, hotels. Prices are being raised for the high-income segment, who “go anyway” and can afford to spend from 300 thousand rubles on New Year's 10 days.

In addition, this year the economy is slowly reviving, the profits of giant enterprises are increasing, which can afford to purchase corporate tariffs for their top management.

Minus 1-2% to the flow of tourists to the Krasnodar Territory, according to ATOR estimates, will bring the mandatory requirement of certificates when checking into any "collective accommodation facilities". From December 30, it will be impossible to check in to hotels in the Krasnodar Territory, including Adler and Sochi, without a vaccination QR code. This is the decision of the Ministry of Resorts, Tourism and Olympic Heritage of the Krasnodar Territory. Until December 30, we recall that booking rooms in Sochi was possible upon presentation of a PCR test, a certificate of a past illness, or the signing of a voluntary consent to undergo vaccination, which should then be completed within 72 hours from the moment of arrival.

For the vast majority of Russian skiers, traditional France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany became inaccessible at one point, including due to the "Sputnik-V" not approved by the European Union. Wealthy tourists are looking for opportunities to relax within their country.

The situation with the New Year's ski holiday is reminiscent of a summer beach holiday when Turkey was closed. Hotels in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea then raised their prices for a simple lack of competition.

In other words, the suite has become even more luxurious - if in 2019 the difference between budget and expensive accommodation options was threefold, then in 2021-2022 prestigious hotels became four times more expensive than budget ones, experts say.

HOW MUCH IS A PLEASURE FOR SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS

Rates for ski passes and rental of equipment sets at the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana are traditionally raised on holidays.

On the largest "Rosa Khutor" - from the last week of December to January 9 inclusive during the daytime, the cost of a ski pass is 4000 rubles, a basic set of "Skis / Skateboard + boots + sticks" - 1880 rubles. A professional set of equipment is several hundred more expensive.

In Krasnaya Polyana (formerly Gorki-Gorod) a ski pass for skiing in the daytime costs 3400 rubles, a basic set of equipment "Skis / Skateboard + boots + poles" - 1400 rubles.

At Gazprom's resorts - Laura and Alpaca, a day's ski pass costs 3,500 rubles, a standard set of equipment "Skis / Skateboard + boots + sticks" - from 1,600 rubles.

For those who want to save money, you can use the evening skiing. After 6 pm, several green and blue tracks remain open in Krasnaya Polyana and Gazprom's Laura. A set of equipment costs the same as in the daytime, but the cost of a ski pass drops by 30-50% - up to 2000-2300 rubles, respectively. Evening skiing ends at 22-23 hours depending on the resort.

Thus, a day of skiing in Krasnaya Polyana at an adult rate on New Year's holidays costs at least 4000-6000 rubles per person, depending on the base.

After the New Year holidays, similar ski passes and equipment rent immediately halved in value. In addition, there are various family tariffs, subscription promotions, and combo sets.

In April of the "dock" 2019, for example, in the "Gorki-Gorod" "combo set", namely: a ski pass + a set of equipment cost only 1600 rubles for a five-hour evening skiing.

FOOD PRICES in mountain resorts

Most of the organized tours usually work on the boarding or half board system: two or three meals a day are included in the price of the voucher.

On New Year's holidays in Krasnaya Polyana, the average bill for bars, cafes and restaurants recommended by TripAdvisor is compared with Moscow: 1000-3000 rubles per visit per person.

Several well-known retail chains - Perekrestok, Pyaterochka, Magnit - entered the territory of the mountain cluster - Krasnaya Polyana and Esto-Sadok. Prices are fixed there and are no different from other regions. Guests renting apartments, apartments and guesthouses take advantage of this opportunity and purchase products for their own cooking. Also in Krasnaya Polyana there are several fast food restaurants of famous brands - McDonalds, Burger King, KFC with their usual prices. The only problem is that well-known restaurant and grocery chains do not operate around the clock.

“The cost of accommodation in hotels in Krasnaya Polyana for the New Year holidays 2021/2022 equaled the Alps”, - noted Alexander Mkrtchyan, General Director of the Pink Elephant travel agency network, and Dmitry Gorin, RST Vice President. - Now on New Year's dates in Krasnaya Polyana you can find a modest apartment of 25 sq. m for 77 thousand rubles for two. In the Austrian Alps, the cost will be about the same in terms of euros. In four-five-star hotels in Krasnaya Polyana, the cost is sometimes even higher than in the Alps when compared with budget resorts, which are located mainly in Italy and Austria. The difference reaches 15–20% ”.

Krasnaya Polyana is the only alternative to the Alps in Russia, the other resorts - Dombay, Arkhyz, Sheregesh do not provide the same level of skiing and infrastructure, experts add.

Experienced tourists, meanwhile, have their own life hacks for such cases. Many, in order to save money on a ski vacation in Sochi, rent an apartment in Adler. An express train from the city's railway station to the Rosa Khutor mountain cluster leaves several times a day. The journey takes 45 minutes, a one-way ticket costs 280 rubles. This scheme cuts costs in half.