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- Roads are cheap: 27 billion rubles will be allocated to the regions for the development of tourism
The amount of a single subsidy to Russian regions for the creation of tourism infrastructure for 2025-2027 will amount to 27 billion rubles, the office of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko told reporters. Subjects can allocate funds at their discretion, including for the construction of infrastructure on automobile tourist routes, the creation of camp sites and the purchase of camping tents.Izvestia investigated whether this money would be enough and what other support measures the tourism industry needed.
Distribution of funds
A single subsidy is being sent to the regions in order to increase the number of tourist trips — one of the key indicators of the national project "Tourism and the Hospitality Industry" — 140 million trips by 2030, the press service of the Ministry of Economy told Izvestia.
"239 projects with a total cost of 1.2 trillion rubles are currently being implemented. According to the program of subsidizing the construction of modular hotels, 10,000 rooms were built in 60 regions of the country in 2023-2024 alone," the ministry said.
The federal budget provides for the allocation of 9 billion rubles annually to help the tourism industry. The subsidy involves co—financing from the region, so the total amount of expenses for the designated purposes will be higher, and its effect will be higher, Elena Anisimova, head of the ACRA group of sovereign and regional ratings, noted in an interview with Izvestia.
— The subsidy is provided as part of a new national project, which is effective from January 1, 2025. This is not the only measure to support the industry in terms of infrastructure development, in addition to it, subsidies are provided for the expansion of the number of rooms and preferential lending to various projects (more than 83 billion rubles are provided for the latter purpose over three years), the expert recalled.
Tourists in the Khibiny National Park in the Murmansk region
In turn, in addition to the infrastructure development project, the national project itself provides for four more federal projects, Elena Anisimova recalled. Thus, tourism support is significantly higher than the indicated amount of a single subsidy.
In general, this year more than 40 billion rubles have been allocated to finance the state program for Tourism development, Vladislav Bukharsky, Associate Director for Sovereign and Regional Ratings at Expert RA agency, reminded Izvestia. In addition, a single subsidy is distributed on a competitive basis.
Tourists take pictures on the road near the village of Teriberka
— For the first time such a subsidy was distributed in 2024, and priority in the competition was given to the regions with the largest number of rooms, as ready as possible for co-financing, and reaching high target values. That is, firstly, a part of the regional funds is added to the above funds, which increases the amount of financing for the industry. And secondly, the money is directed to regions with effective management of these funds, so it can be assumed that there will most likely be no problems with the implementation of the planned projects," the expert explained.
The Krasnodar Territory, Moscow and Sverdlovsk regions have become leaders in subsidizing. In total, these three regions will receive more than 1 billion rubles annually.
A tourist tent near the village of Aktash in the Altai Territory
At the same time, according to the expert, domestic tourist flows are currently concentrated in certain regions, while a significant part of the country's territory is still underestimated by tourists. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen support for places with a small number of rooms so far, but with high tourist potential, for example, in the Far East.
Volumes of help
Domestic tourism is one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the economy today. Restrictions on foreign travel and income growth all ensure high demand within the country, and significant investments in tourism infrastructure support this momentum and allow the industry to develop ahead of expectations. According to the results of the first nine months of 2024, the tourist flow in terms of the number of overnight stays increased by 9% compared to the same period in 2023, Dmitry Zemlyansky, director of the Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics at the IPEI RANEPA, told Izvestia.
— 27 billion rubles for three years is, of course, not very much: one or two complex projects in the region or several small ones. In other words, it's more about local results than about large-scale breakthrough solutions. But do not forget that this is not the only mechanism for the development of tourism. There are also funds for the development of modular accommodation, preferential loans for the construction of large hotels, as well as support measures for small and medium—sized businesses," the expert said.
Vacationers on Ai-Petri mountain in Crimea
It is important, according to him, that the government started providing a single subsidy to the regions last year instead of several sectoral transfers.
The allocated 27 billion rubles for 2025-2027 is a significant amount, but it is unlikely to be enough for the comprehensive development of tourism infrastructure across the country, Alexey Korneev, founder of Timjet, told Izvestia. However, government support of any size is a positive signal for the industry, especially given the trend of traveling around the country.
If we take into account the cost of building modern campsites, roadside infrastructure and tourist facilities, then even with proper allocation of funds, the regions will be able to cover only part of the needs.
Vacationers on the Black Sea coast in the village of Morskoye
— For example, the construction of a high—quality parking lot with amenities can cost 50-100 million rubles, and a full-fledged camping complex - hundreds of millions. But what is important is that this subsidy mechanism gives an impetus to private investment and encourages regions to develop tourist routes, including historical and patriotic ones, which corresponds to Russian values," said Alexey Korneev.
New measures
According to Alexey Korneev, active implementation of digital services is necessary for further development. We need more booking services, unified tourist cards with cashback, as well as increased integration of payment systems, including Russian ones. Special attention should be paid to the development of routes related to national history, military monuments, and cultural heritage.
— Regions should develop tourism clusters based on historical events and traditions. Infrastructure and logistics are also important. It is necessary not only to build campsites and parking lots, but also to improve roads, navigation, and transport accessibility," the expert noted. — The development of roadside services should go in parallel with digital solutions, such as interactive maps with recreation areas and gas stations. In addition to subsidies, we need tax breaks and grants for small businesses in tourism.
Camping on the shore of the village of Olenevka in Crimea
Subsidizing part of the interest rate on loans for the creation of tourist infrastructure is an urgent measure, Alexander Shepelev, an expert on the stock market at BCS World of Investments, added in an interview with Izvestia.
— Relative to 2024, when such a subsidy was allocated for the first time, its annual volume will increase by 50%. Subsidies will be provided on a targeted basis, based on competitive selection, the effect will be visible for specific implemented projects. The industry could also be helped by promoting the development of digital services, event tourism, and educational programs for professional training," he noted.
A network of glamping sites should be created in the regions, Vladimir Prokhorov, a member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya, told Izvestia. This kind of vacation is great for both motorists and hikers.
An important area of support is also assistance in the professional certification of translation guides, tour guides and guide instructors, Valery Britaus, commercial director of the YouTravel tour marketplace, told Izvestia. We are talking about subsidies for education, training and certification, as well as assistance in obtaining all the necessary legal statuses for doing business, including tour operator activities.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Economic Development, but no response was received at the time of publication.
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