The tourist season in Abkhazia this year began in August due to coronavirus pandemic.
Sukhum. August 19, 2020. Apsnypress. “The coronavirus pandemic, which threatened the tourism business in most countries of the world, including Abkhazia, showed how important the tourism industry is for our country, how much we depend on cash receipts during the tourist season. This is not only direct tax revenues, but also the profit that our citizens receive in the form of income. It creates a multiplier effect ”. This was stated by Minister of Tourism Teimuraz Khishba, speaking at a meeting chaired by President Aslan Bzhaniya.
The meeting was devoted to epidemiological situation in the country, the tourist season, as well as progress of Investment Program implementation.
“Undoubtedly in case such a scenario repeats, we must look for additional opportunities for state budget funds. Considering that Abkhazia is among the countries that have abandoned their own currency, the main source of accumulation of the country's money supply is a positive balance of payments under the item “tourism”, ” Khishba said.
The tourist season in Abkhazia this year began in August 1 due to coronavirus pandemic.
“Ten days before the border opening, employees of the ministry carried out work to determine the degree of accommodation readiness to receive guests in the event of restrictive measures lifting, as well as observing all recommendations by Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of the Republic of Abkhazia on organizing the work of recreation facilities while maintaining the risks of the of COVID- 19 spread ", - minister said.
The recommendations were sent to resort facilities and posted on the website of the RA Ministry of Tourism.
Khishba especially noted the work of Rospotrebnadzor specialists, who monitored tourist sites on their readiness to receive vacationers and presented their recommendations.
“The delegation of Rospotrebnadzor gave a positive opinion on sanitary and epidemiological situation in Abkhazia and determined the readiness of Abkhaz infrastructure facilities to receive tourists during the pandemic. The leadership of the Russian Federation made a decision to open the state border with Abkhazia based on the report of Rospotrebnadzor", Khishba said.
Khishba also provided data on the workload of accommodation facilities for vacationers under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tourism.
At the moment, accommodation in Gagra district facilities are loaded on average by 90 percent, in central part of Abkhazia it is different. Occupancy of hotels on average is no more than 35. This situation has developed due to late start of tourist season. Accommodation facilities are gradually filled from west to east, ” Minister said.
From August 1 to August 17, 1,052 people were accommodated in Association of boarding houses of Pitsunda resort (for the same period in 2019 - 3910 people), in Sukhum boarding house "Aitar" - 279, 733 people, respectively.
The largest number of tourists coming to Abkhazia visit the Ritsa relict national park and the New Athos cave.
From August 1 to August 17, the RRNP was visited by 66 718 people (for the same period in 2019 - 67 877 people), the New Athos Cave - 22 918 and 43 887 people, respectively.
The volume of paid services provided in the RRNP from 1 to 17 August 2020 amounted to 21 million 968 thousand rubles (for the same period in 2019 - 22 million 140 thousand rubles); in the New Athos cave - 11 million 455 thousand rubles and 21 million 934 thousand rubles, respectively.
“Minister believes that the attendance of Ritsa Park will exceed last year's figures by the end of the tourist season despite the low indicators compared to the same period last year.
More than one million people visited Abkhazia for tourism in 2019.
“This year we expect a decrease in this indicator, by 50 percent at best, by more at worst,” Khishba said.
Minister of Tourism also drew attention to a number of problematic issuesn his speech.
“The main problem faced by our hoteliers after opening the border is the lack of staff. It's not a secret that a large number of employees working at the facilities are foreign citizens, not citizens of the Russian Federation, but of Belarus, Ukraine, LPR and DPR. In this regard, many hotels experienced a shortage of service personnel. On the other hand, such a crisis can be a stimulus for development of the service sector, since we have long ago had a need to create a School of Hospitality, " said Khishba.
Another problem is that not all commercial banks' ATMs serve cards of VISA and MASTERCARD payment systems, which causes indignation among tourists.
“For almost two months all bank cards, except MIR card, have not been serviced. The reason is the lack of cash in the country. You can cash out only at the cash desks, paying considerable commission to banks (2% - Russian and 2% Abkhaz). The situation with ATMs should change for the better, ” Khishba said.
According to Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab, the New-Athos cave's low attendance rates of this year are due not only the resort season opened in August, but also "the mechanism for organizing excursions is not sufficiently used."
“The cave works mainly with organized excursionists. There are many people who come on their own to Ritsa national park, in addition to organized excursions, ”Ankvab said. He expressed confidence that both Ritsa Park and the New-Athos cave will still improve their performance.
