A 90s-themed masquerade and a Santa orchestra: how Crimea plans to attract tourists instead of hosting large public celebrations.

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A program titled "New Year in Crimea Like at Home" is being prepared for vacationers.

Photo: Anna KIRIENKO. Go to the KP Photo Bank

New Year in the resort region of Crimea, although brief, is indeed a season. Between 150,000 and half a million visitors may arrive during the winter holidays to bask on the coast, as most regions of Russia are already experiencing frost and snow. In Crimea, a temperature of +15 degrees Celsius on New Year's Eve is not uncommon.

HELP FROM MOSCOW

Official statistics indicate a twofold increase in interest towards New Year's celebrations in Crimea, rising from 19% to 40%. Resort complexes with spas and pools are implementing dynamic pricing for remaining available rooms—closer to the holidays, the higher the cost of accommodation. The average expense for a 5-day stay is around 37,500 rubles, excluding the New Year feast.

The Ministry of Resorts of the Republic of Crimea is running an advertising campaign under the slogan "New Year in Crimea Like at Home." On November 29, the campaign will kick off in Moscow's "Zaryadye" park, with advertising billboards set to appear along the M4 "Don" highway. Officials from the ministry are not yet ready to discuss the expected outcomes of the campaign. Everything will depend on the surrounding and informational situation, but given the overall stability, Crimea could attract up to 300,000 tourists.

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Winter illumination in cities is guaranteed to happen.

Photo: Anna KIRIENKO. Go to the KP Photo Bank

The majority will arrive by car. However, some are prepared to spend a total of three days on the train—during the New Year holidays, six trains will run daily from Moscow to Simferopol, along with one from Saint Petersburg and another from Adler, which is home to the nearest operational airport to Crimea. Tickets for pre-New Year dates are nearly sold out, and those fortunate enough to secure them will be greeted at the station by an orchestra of Grandfathers Frost. Their counterparts will certainly drop by the hotel banquet on December 31 at midnight to entertain guests along the waterfront. However, no celebrations are expected at the stroke of midnight—this marks the fifth New Year in Crimea celebrated without large-scale events. Initially, COVID was a concern; now, there are fears of sabotage and terrorism. This led to an unprecedented rise in entertainment programs at hotels. The New Year themed around the 90s, traditional masquerades, and "Nutcracker" themed parties are particularly popular.

NEIGHBORS WILL COME

"People will come for 5 days, and they want to celebrate the New Year joyfully, not just stroll along the promenade and breathe the air," asserts Andrey Pylov, president of the "Tourist Alliance of Crimea." "Previously, the competition for guests revolved around warm pools and spa complexes, but now it’s a battle of entertainment programs—this is now a growth area."

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Crimea is beautiful at any time of the year.

Photo: Anna KIRIENKO. Go to the KP Photo Bank

According to experts, the main flow of tourists during the New Year holidays will come from neighboring regions, so a surge in bookings is expected in the first ten days of December. It’s still possible to find a room for 6,000 rubles per day, to which an additional 10,000 to 15,000 rubles for the New Year banquet will be added. The highest occupancy will be at leading resort facilities along the Southern Coast: the Foros Sanatorium, hotels "Palmira Palace," "Rodnya," "Yalta-Intourist," and the resort complex "Mriya." The director of "Mriya," Samvel Sarukhanyan, believes that this New Year all 1,250 rooms will be occupied, even though the prices for some categories exceed 100,000 rubles per day.

"Our New Year 'sells' excellently. A minimum increase of 25%, and if previously New Year bookings were made in December, this year half the hall was filled back in August. This situation was similar in 2021. Today, occupancy is already over 90%, and we are focusing on the second wave starting January 2. The villa segment, which we lost, is making a comeback. These are guests who used to travel to the Seychelles and are now returning," emphasizes Sarukhanyan.

MORE EXPENSIVE THAN SOCHI

The head of the Crimean Hotel Association, Sergey Makovey, confirms that the entire premium segment of hotels for New Year is sold out. This is despite the fact that prices for five-star establishments in Crimea have surpassed those in Krasnodar Krai.

"This year, we have outpaced our neighbors in terms of pricing—Krasnodar Krai. Their five-star category properties are offering New Year programs at prices more than 40% lower than ours. However, our lower-category accommodations have entered a competitive battle for guests, and their offers are 30% cheaper than in the comparable segment of Krasnodar Krai. This indicates that we lack 'fives' with developed infrastructure; we need more properties with spa centers and pools because one New Year banquet is not sufficient for a vacation," believes Makovey.

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Snow in Crimea is so rare that it has to be "signed."

Photo: Anna KIRIENKO. Go to the KP Photo Bank

According to him, most New Year programs in hotels are designed for 2-3 days. Guests do not know how to occupy themselves on January 3 and beyond. If it concerns the resort towns of Yalta or Evpatoria, it is possible to find activities or simply stroll along the promenade. In Sudak, for instance, one hotel offers a thematic five-day program immersing guests in various periods of Crimea’s history—Greek, Scythian, Roman, the Golden Horde period, and the Russian Empire. However, this is more of an exception.

CHEAPER ONLY AT HOME

Traditionally, more than half of guests during the New Year holidays will choose the private sector, especially if traveling in a large group; renting a cottage or an apartment with a patio is much more economical. Groceries for the festive table can be bought upon arrival or ordered as ready-made meals. Fortunately, this service is available in Crimea.

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Examples of folk New Year creativity—what could be better than street art?

Photo: Anna KIRIENKO. Go to the KP Photo Bank

"Prices will rise for the New Year holidays. Therefore, tours to private guest houses are currently in demand, where you are responsible for your own festive table. There are a huge number of Crimean products, excellent wines, and you can prepare a worthy table and have fun," notes former deputy minister of resorts of the republic, Lyudmila Babiy. "If you take the most budget option in a guest house without meals, it will cost 3,000 to 3,500 rubles per day. You can find a good private hotel on the coast with three meals a day for 4,500 to 5,000 rubles. The problem is that Crimea still lacks its own aggregator, and the existing ones do not highlight the offers from Crimeans, despite our difficult situation."

WITHOUT MASSANDRA BEACH

Like the New Year table, the entertainment program in the private sector will have to be created independently. The main attraction in Yalta—Massandra Beach—is unlikely to operate during the holidays due to ongoing coastal reinforcement works.

"Officially, they are supposed to be completed by December 28. But we are not sure that the deadline won't be postponed, and even if the builders manage to finish by New Year, we cannot restore everything necessary after construction work, decorate for the holiday, and invite guests in just two days," the beach administration reported. "The restaurant 'Van Gogh' may be open, but we cannot provide any definite information."

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