GLAMPING IN RUSSIA

Venera Adamovich

GLAMPING ENTHUSIAST AND RESEARCHER, PROJECT MANAGER OF RUSSIAN GLAMPING ASSOCIATION

Venera Adamovich

How has the glamping industry been affected by the pandemic where you are?

The situation in Russia is differing from region to region. Some areas faced more restrictions, other areas were less affected.

What kind of restrictions has the industry been under?

During the lockdown period last year which lasted about 3-4 months (between March-June in the most regions), all outdoor hospitality activities were prohibited. Slowly in July it all picked up, so we have seen an increase of domestic trips.

Do you currently face restrictions? If so, when are they set to be lifted?

Yes, there are more safety measures at place such as social distancing, regular cleaning routines, requirement of providing sanitizers to the guests and wearing of the masks etc. The children’s summer camps highly likely remain closed this year too. There is currently no information on the lifting of such restrictions.

Uncertainty surrounding international travel has caused a surge of domestic holidays in the UK, leading to an increase in the popularity of glamping. Has this occurred where you are?

We had seen similar trends in Russia and increase of domestic holidays within Russia. Some areas were negatively affected by the increased numbers of visitors and tourists, for instance Altai and Baikal lake areas. Local communities were not ready to accommodate such an increase, moreover it brought up an increase of negative perceptions of tourism among locals.

Are there currently any glamping trends that you are seeing?

1. Increased focus of the tourists on safety at the chosen holiday location 2. Growth in travels influenced by bloggers and celebrities. 3. Growth of travels with micro-providers in opposite of using big travel agents who offer standard packages.

Any exciting projects that you’d like to talk about?

Last November, the Russian Glamping Association has organised a Third Forum which brought together the glamping industry experts, entrepreneurs, government representatives (due to restrictions, it was organised in online). We see a dramatic rise in interest from entrepreneurs who want to invest into the outdoor hospitality. Therefore, this year Forum will be extended to include an exhibition of the glamping manufacturers and providers in off-line format. The dates are already set to 29-31 October, in Moscow.