Why are tour operators bankrupt in Russia? The crisis in the tourism business

Tourist business in 2014 changed its main purpose. Anticipation and pleasure from the rest on the part of the travelers, which is the subject of care and pride of eminent companies in the sphere of tourism, was replaced by the anxious syndrome of travelers: "Have we got?" The terminology of psychopathic states is quite appropriate. Because the absolute unpredictability literally shattered the already insecure tourist market standing on its feet.

The crisis in the tourism business: what's next?

What does tourism usually associate with? Beautiful scenery, recreation, sea, sand, palm trees, exotic, liner ... Images arise in accordance with the thickness of the personal wallet. Rest has become a measure of prestige. The quality of the trip became the same indicator as the level of the car. Seychelles, Bahamas, Mallorca ... What's next?

And then a full turn of 180 degrees. It turns out that the best thing can be rest in your native country. What are the reasons for this turn? What happened to the well-known companies that were born at the very beginning of the establishment of such a beautiful business, which has ended so ugly with crowds of deceived tourists?

The Russian alternative

It can not be said that rest in Russia is not competitive with respect to foreign. There are many beautiful and comfortable places for tourists. But it is impossible to compare different things. How can you compare, for example, what is better - swimming or figure skating? We ask a question about whether it is possible to replace swimming with figure skating. Hardly. As well as it is impossible to replace foreign voyages with rest in Russia, which is now so amicably broadcast by the mass media.

Tourism in Russia has been a pleasure for the rich before. Rest here can not afford each. In conditions of lower competition from outbound tourism, there is a real risk of rising prices in rubles. And our compatriot, perhaps, would prefer not to go anywhere at all. Time will tell. Raising the Russian tourism sector by redistributing the flow is also not the best idea. It's the same as pouring water into the pool after people learn to dive into it. It is fraught with consequences.

Mind does not understand Russia

A crisis is always a mismatch of form and content. For example, if a lot of houses are built, it means that the pendulum will swing in the other direction, and one should prepare for the collapse of the construction business, the bursting of cooperatives and the mass disappearance of developers. Suffices a lot of Russians. If banks of different forms of ownership give left and right money for an inadequate 40% per annum, redistributing cheap foreign resources in their sector, Russian borrowers suffer. The insurance company has bursted - the insurer itself is guilty. The state compensates for anything only if the documents are properly documented.

The problems of tourist business in Russia are a visible part of the iceberg of the general economic crisis. This is a sufficiently resonant area. As the tourist product accumulates in itself different participants of the business community: carriers, insurers, and hoteliers.

When non-payment of suppliers' services, international norms of law are touched upon, people remain in a foreign country: here they remain silent or, as they say, "go to ignore" will not work. So why are tour operators bankrupt in Russia?

What is the reason for the crisis in tourism?

There is a notion of reputation, and the stability of the company is estimated by the term of commercial activity. Most of the players who had descended from the distance in the tourism sector of the economy had an impeccable reputation, high rating and professionalism. Let's try to understand what happened to the tourist market in Russia? So:

• Cancellation of licensing in 2007. The refusal of state control in terms of professional competence opened the door to the bacchanal of dumping of newly appeared incompetent one-day firms, which fundamentally undermined business already during the 2008 crisis .
• Expensive financial resources for domestic companies. Russian tour operators could not withstand competition from foreign dark horses that finance franchising networks with the participation of foreign capital.
• Political force majeure. Closure of travel abroad for certain categories of citizens (military, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Measures and other target segments) and the decrease in the tourist flow by at least 30% did not allow the planned volumes calculated taking into account credit obligations.

These are just the reasons that are on the surface. Considering the small margin of the business and high risks, expensive sources of financing, the need for credit to pay obligations to carriers, foreign partners, frozen deposits to cover risks, the collapse of the national currency and much more, there is an impression of the doom of this business sector. And the question "Why are the tour operators going bankrupt?" Becomes rhetorical.

New Year's - old problems

The crisis, as mentioned above, is similar to a pendulum. Unreasonable excess leads to loss. The eternal dream of a person to wake up on the first day of January in the new world is, of course, a beautiful utopia. What to expect from the current market conditions? Why the tour operators go bankrupt? 2014 is coming to an end, but why wait in the next? Most likely, the whole tourist community will work in the conservation mode. Statements at the level "we are all excellent" are unlikely to have the ground. A systemic crisis can not hurt each of the participants.

The change of the indexes of tourist mass flows from the West to the East is not a solution to the problem. Of course, a significant part of the finances will not be exported abroad. But is the domestic infrastructure ready to master these funds?

I myself!

This motto has always been a companion of Russian realities, and now against the backdrop of what is happening in the tourism business, More and more often calls for independent travel. Everyone knows the position of a child trying to learn an adult life: "I myself!" Commendable, but for a civilized society is not suitable. There are concepts of specialization and professionalism. Independent travel is only one of the forms of knowledge of the world. The great misconception is that you can save bypassing the services of professionals in tourism. It was, is and will be an important element in the service sector, whose representatives are experts in quality rest.

The way out of the crisis

There is an exit. It is in the same place as the entrance. The situation in the tourism business will begin to change with the system. Economic, political, external and internal. The system crisis revealed the inability of political forces to solve the issue not at the expense of anyone, but by joint efforts. The principle of political tolerance could not stand the test of strength. In the war there are no winners, the ability to negotiate and find a solution - an indicator of the level of development of civilization. Therefore, a good prospect of aspiration to it opens.

At the moment at the review stage there is a number of preventive measures to prevent negative consequences of termination of operators. But all of them basically involve an increase in contributions to cover expenses in case of bankruptcy. Thus, the further collapse of operators and problems in the tourism business are a predictable situation. The focus is not on preventing the causes of bankruptcy, but on paying for the consequences. Consequently, the very fact of the possible insolvency of tour operators is recognized a priori.

Tourism in Russia

The development of domestic tourism in Russia is announced everywhere in the media as an alternative to foreign recreation. The reason for this patriotism is as follows:

• The ability to keep finances within the country;
• The growth of foreign currency makes it impossible to stake on the segment of solvent middle-class population (mass tourism destinations are calculated for it);
• Opens the prospect of the development of the national infrastructure for recreation and recreation;
• Eliminates the risk of non-return (and associated financial losses) of tourists in the event of bankruptcy of operators from abroad.

Traveling in Russia is a popular service on the part of the population. But there are also problems here. Because of the redistribution of flows, there is a threat not only of increasing the price of vacation in places of accommodation. The main problem is the transport problem. Even when there was no motto "staying in Russia", it was quite difficult to satisfy the demand of Russians for transportation. Therefore, the situation in the tourism business can not be resolved at the expense of the development of the travel market in Russia. At least for the time being.

East or West

One of the reasons that created instability in the tourist sphere was the measures of economic and political sanctions against Russia regarding the situation with Ukraine and Crimea. It is necessary that a certain period of time passes before it becomes obvious that the losses of all parties are significant and do not give any advantage to any of the participants in the confrontation. A significant reduction in business programs in this area and the depreciation of the ruble against the euro in addition to sanctions is another answer to the question of why the tour operators go bankrupt.

In order to build relations with the East and compensate for losses in the western direction, it takes time. Therefore, while talking about stabilizing the tourism market is premature.

Eastern variant of tourism development

The countries of Southeast Asia, India, the United Arab Emirates, perhaps, will give a chance and perspective for the development of the tourism industry, if indeed a common economic space provided by a single currency will be formed. Temporarily. Because it is impossible to replace the West with the East, as well as Russian tourism - foreign travel.

Rescue the drowning

The crisis in the tourist sphere reveals not only and not so much the problems of operators, as the imperfection of the systemic capabilities of the state. The bankruptcy of legal entities should be aimed at supporting a problem participant in economic activity. The process of external management is aimed at resolving conflict situations, helping to maintain image, reputation, and financially rehabilitating a troubled tour operator. All this has nothing to do with Russia.

Why the tour operators go bankrupt? The very procedure of bankruptcy is declared at such a stage of this "cancer disease", when nothing is possible to undertake. There must probably be a set of rules for economic mutual obligations, in violation of which the question of assessing the financial condition of the tour operator is raised. And only on the basis of data analysis, a decision is made about external management of the company, in order to avoid catastrophic consequences from the impossibility of fulfilling obligations under the contracts.