On April 29 th, a Round Table "The Sphere of Hospitality in Crisis Conditions, between Moscow and Minsk: an Exchange of Experience" with the participation of representatives of the Moscow’s and the Minsk’s branches of respective Chambers of Commerce and Industry took place. Russia and Belarus are synchronising the flow of tourists.
The Main News Russia "Thanks to everyone who decided to share their experiences in the area of hospitality, which is very important for all of us. The socio-economic crisis caused by the pandemic affects everyone and every business. The sphere of hospitality was one of the first, which was affected because of it, - noted the Vice President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Suren Vardanyan, one of its moderators, while opening the Round Table. “I hope that today we will have a constructive exchange of opinions and I am sure that the MCCI and Minsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry will do everything possible for our tourism businesses to reach their pre-crisis indicators".
"The sphere of hospitality permeates all spheres of business and is actually the basis of all business communications," another moderator, the General Director of the Minsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Sergey Nabeshko, underlined in his welcoming speech. He reminded that major international exhibitions, dedicated to recreation and tourism have recently taken place in Moscow and Minsk, and their participants are “in possession of information, which is important to share. I am convinced that today we will discuss measures to support this important industry in a constructive manner," said Mr. Nabeshko. “Very important components depend on our experience and interaction”.
"Tourist relations with Belarus are of strategic importance for us", - said Mr. Sergey Shpilko, the Honorable President of the Russian Union of the Travel Industry. He stressed that the current "pandemic" crisis is the most difficult in the history of ihe nternational tourism, but domestic tourism, especially its "nature-oriented" directions, has somewhat prospered.
Many have discovered the benefits of sanatorium treatments, for which Belarus has always been famous. The speaker told about the true heroism of Russian sanatorium and spa doctors, who faced Covid and saved all their patients in the process. He also introduced the audience to the Covid rehabilitation programs that are widespread today.
The Chairman of the Board of the Republican Union of Tourism Industry (Belarus), Mr. Philip Gulyi, spoke about the restoration of domestic and foreign tourism in Belarus. In particular, he noted that the citizens of both countries, crossing the Russian-Belarusian borders by car (and these are the majority), often have problems, and this issue requires a solution. Belarusians, according to him, are interested in recreational options in the Crimea and the Caucasus.
He drew attention to the need for logistical development between Russia and Belarus, the coordination of Russian and Belarusian organizations, responsible for border security and health care, joint implementation of inter-regional infrastructure projects on R119, R125 and E95 highways.
Another problem is that Belarus in the Russian Federation is equated to a foreign country, and prices for holidays in Belarusian sanatoriums, when sold in Russia, are often inflated, due to the large number of intermediaries and the need for tour operators to pay financial guarantees for Belarusian tours as for the foreign ones. Because of this, the price of a stay in a Belarusian sanatorium for a Russian citizen is sometimes comparable with a vacation in France or Turkey. The reporter urged to consider this issue as well.
According to the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Tourism and hotel business of the MCC,I Ms.I Inna Pekhova, the city hotels have suffered more than resorts (22% of small hotels in the capital this year did not open), and according to the most optimistic forecasts, the recovery of this area has to wait two to three years. The Tourism Committee of Moscow, pointed out the speaker, is looking for new solutions for the capital of Russia to become a major tourist hub, developing routes to other cities of the Russian Federation.
According to the international rating, Baku, Moscow, Istanbul, St. Petersburg and Tel-Aviv are now leading in terms of hotel occupancy in the world. The speaker told what models were used by hotels in the capital to survive at the height of the Covid crisis, and what methodologies are being employed now.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Nikolai Nosov, spoke about the losses in tourism volume in 2020, about State support of business and described plans adopting priority measures to support domestic and inbound tourism, development of the new draft law of the Republic of Belarus "On Tourism", enhancing the management of tourism in the regions, the directions and improvements of this industry.
Mr. Aleksey Rusakevich, the Director of the Main Department of the Sport and Tourism of the Minsk City Executive Committee, presented the tourist potential of Minsk, explained how tourist services are formed in the Belarusian capital and particularly focused on the attractiveness of medical tourism. He described the damage caused to the tourism industry by the Coronoviirus. Statistically, in 2020, the number of tourists in Minsk has decreased by 77%.
Ms. Irina Ovsyannikova, a member of the Expert Council of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia, described the strategy of survival in the Covid crisis by the example of the Park Inn of the Radisson Izmailovo Hotel, which she manages. According to her, during the pandemic, personalized service is especially important for the guests.
Ms. Tatiana Potapova, the Deputy General Director for Development of Minotel JSC, presented different scenarios for the survival of the Minsk hotels, noting, in particular, a "sad trend" of downturn in this market. Many hotels, the speaker noted, have significantly expanded the packages of tourist and other services, and this trend is gaining momentum.
The Chairman of the MCCI Committee on Healthcare and Medical Industry, Mr. Oleg Rukudainy, told about the development of the inbound medical tourism in Russia and his own experience in this field. Now, according to him, the incoming medical tourism is slowly gaining momentum, although there are visa difficulties, the client-oriented approach of clinics is improving. Domestic medical tourism is also growing, in particular, Muscow’s residents go to Ryazan and other cities to get dental and cosmetic procedures. The speaker also noted that Russia has developed a lot of post-Covid rehabilitation programs.
Ms. Ekaterina Shpak, the Deputy Head of the Department of Entrepreneurial Activity, Pricing and State Property of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, told about the organization of the Covid treatment in the country. According to her, the popular areas of medical tourism are currently organ and tissue transplantations, cardiology and oncology. In 2020, more than 128 thousand foreign citizens received medical care in the country. The volume of medical tourism is expected to recover by the fourth quarter of 2021.
Mr. Alexander Trus, the Head of the Information and Communication Department of the “Medical Initiative”, told about the history of the company, which he represents, and delineated the medical projects, which are implemented by the company. According to him, the emphasis is on high-tech medical care. Laboratory diagnostics have recently became its focal point.
This year "there is a noticeable trend towards the joining of medical organizations - in particular, sanatorium treatments and medical tourism". The speaker spoke about innovations in the sphere of the latter, dictated by the Corvid crisis. The healthcare system of the Republic of Belarus, he noted, is carefully studying foreign experience in this field, first of all, - Russian.
Mr. Alexey Strelchenko, the Deputy Director for Tourism Activity of the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Tsentrkurort", noted that Belarusian health resorts were the only segment of the the tourism industry, which immediately reoriented to the domestic market with the arrival of the Covid pandemic. At the end of the crisis in 2020, their rate was 70%, while the hotels reduced this figure to 15-20%. "Our task is to increase the volume of spas’ treatments, oriented to Russian tourists," - said the speaker. He also spoke about innovative domestic tour services: for family vacations,for example.
Ms. Larisa Yanchenko, the Deputy General Director of Medical & SPA Resort "Alpha Radon" spoke about the peculiarities of anti-crisis management of the sanatorium and the search for new opportunities for its development. According to her, the age of holidaymakers in the resort has noticeably decreased. Care and relaxation programs are being designed for them; the spa creates opportunities for a remote therapy and communication with a psychologist. The speaker also told about the introduction of a new product : a certificate with an open date, provided with a discount of up to 25%, which is in demand. According to her, the sanatorium has started working on creating a franchise.
The Head of the Service and Maintenance Department of the State Institution "Yunost Sanatorium" of the Office of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Denis Bezhok, also shared his experience during the Covid crisis, providing security for its guests, most of whom are Russian citizens, and spoke about the methods of attracting them today (bonuses, perks, dividends, etc.).
At the end of the Roundtable, Mr. Vardanyan suggested that by May 20 th, the problems raised and possible solutions should be separately recorded, so that the Chambers will be able to work with them.
The moderators thanked the speakers for their informative presentations.