Due to fuel oil spill, Anapa loses about half of its tourists

Amid the huge spill of fuel oil (mazut) in the Black Sea, the hotel occupancy rate in the Russian city of Anapa has decreased by 50% compared to the same last year’s period. Some hotels are in dire straits because they cannot return money to tourists for cancelled bookings, said a source from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

Now, in early June, the hotel occupancy in Anapa is minus 50% compared to the same period of last year, Sergey Romashkin, ATOR Vice President. "And further it’ll get even worse – minus 60%-65%. And if nothing changes, Anapa will lose about two million tourists out of the 4.5 million it received last year," the “Interfax” outlet has quoted him as saying.

If the “Rospotrebnadzor” (Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) revises its recommendations for Anapa in July, the occupancy rate of the facilities will increase sharply, because there is a large deferred demand in this sphere.

"Accordingly, there is a chance, even from the start, for example, on July 1, to still come out on top and compensate for the losses that businesses have incurred since the beginning of the season," Mr Romashkin has concluded.

Despite the warnings from the “Rospotrebnadzor” and official bans on bathing at sea, vacationers continue filling Anapa beaches. Disputes continue in the information sphere: some local bloggers assure that the sea is clean and everything is safe, while environmentalists and owners of guest houses, on the contrary, are sounding the alarm and talking about manipulations.

Sergey Romashkin has also emphasized that many hotels in Anapa have had difficulties with refunding. "Prices are falling in Anapa hotels that are in a dire situation. This is due to the fact that tourists who had booked hotel rooms directly in advance have gone to court to get their money back. And the hotels, in their turn, cannot return their money. Probably, accommodation facilities (hotels and guest houses) should raise the issue of deferring obligations if they feel that they can’t cope with them," the “Interfax” quoted Romashkin's words on May 30.

The All-National Union of Hospitality Industry Organizations has sent a letter to the Ministry of Economic Development with a request to exempt Anapa hoteliers from taxes and provide them with subsidies and interest-free loans, the “Kommersant FM” radio has reported.

"I think this will not affect everyone, but only those who work year-round. The private businesses that operate for only four months won’t fall into this category. Those who open only during the season are about 80%. In June, many won’t start working, especially those without swimming pools. I think a miracle will happen; and people will spit on all the bans, as there is nowhere to go. Neighbouring cities will not house so many tourists. Cars drive around, shouting for people not to swim. But both children and adults do it anyway," Maxim, the manager of the “Alexander the Great” Hotel, was quoted in the radio's Telegram channel on May 24.

This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 31, 2025 at 08:51 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.