Year of recovery: how the hospitality industry of Kazan survived the holidays

A number of Kazan hotels were 90% occupied during the holidays. The flow of customers has increased in bars and restaurants. In the hospitality industry, they believe: if there are no new waves of the pandemic,

A roof over your HEAD

The occupancy of hotels in the capital of Tatarstan during the New Year holidays, according to the President of the Association of Kazan and Tatarstan Hoteliers Gulnara Safina, was quite high. The indicators differed, however, on average, from December 31 to January 2, the occupancy of accommodation facilities was 70-80%, in the period from January 3 to January 6 it reached 90%. As a result, the business managed to improve financial performance. 

“The increase went exactly after we announced that New Year's Eve would still be. The picture in the hotels is different, as different rooms and location. The revenue of hotels has grown, but it is worth considering that food and energy prices are also rising, so there was an increase in spending,” said Safina.

She believes that the urban infrastructure, which allows attracting tourists, affects the loading rates. In addition, catering and entertainment activities are important for guests. Everything was during the holidays in Kazan. “During the New Year holidays, Kazan was an attractive place for guests. There are growth trends in relation to the past and to 2019. If covid restrictions are maintained and the development of domestic tourism continues, then we can talk about positive forecasts for 2022. Initially, our load was quite high, but in October it became known about the introduction of QR codes, and everything fell apart. Growth was very difficult. The guests asked whether there would be a New Year's Eve or not, since in some regions there was a ban on holding it, ”said Safina.  

Bread and circuses

Galina Sharafutdinova, executive DIRECTOR of the Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan, told RBC Tatarstan that the holidays had a positive effect on catering establishments. Thanks to the decree of the government of the republic, cafes, bars and restaurants were able to extend their opening hours and receive a significant influx of guests.

“Bars were finally able to open their doors to guests as the restrictions basically hit them. In general, New Year's Eve brought a good result. People were tired of the pandemic and wanted to spend time at their favorite places. There is only one forecast for 2022 - if there are no fourth and fifth waves of the pandemic, then by the end of summer we expect to restore our financial stability. In this case, the industry will feel much more comfortable,” she said.