In a close circle: Russian car travelers prefer to sleep in the car
Russians increasingly prefer to go on vacation by car, which they often spend the night in. Analysts note not only the growing popularity of travel products, but also the rising prices for them. Izvestia found out how much the fees for the trip would cost.
By Japanese cars to the Black Sea
A survey conducted by the international network of car service Fit Service (available to Izvestia) showed that the majority of respondents (76%) plan to travel by car this summer. Interestingly, owners of Japanese (28%) and Korean (15%) car brands are more likely to travel. Only 9% of car owners of Russian brands agree to take the risk on such a trip.
At the same time, car travelers take a responsible approach to the process, preparing the car in advance for a long-distance route.:
— According to our data, the share of car migration between stations is no more than 2%. That is, cars serviced at a station in one city are extremely rare due to breakdowns at stations in other cities. This suggests that drivers most often carefully prepare their cars for a long journey. The number of car arrivals from June 1 to June 23 increased by 1.5% compared to last year. The most popular service in May and June was chassis diagnostics," says Tatiana Ovchinnikova, director of the international franchise network of Fit Service car services. According to the network's analysts, the average check in June increased by 18% year-on-year, to 11,560 rubles.
Every fourth car owner (23%) is going to drive routes up to 600 km. Another 20% have serious travel plans and are preparing to travel up to 5,000 km by car. Only 6% of the bravest drivers are guided by the mileage of more than 5 thousand km during the summer holidays.
The most popular destination, according to the survey, was the Black Sea (22% of respondents). Altai (12%), the Caucasus (6%), Baikal (6%), St. Petersburg (5%) and Karelia (3%) are also in the top places for car tours.
Going on a camping trip
More and more Russian road travelers prefer a wild vacation. This is evidenced by the growing popularity of products for car tourism. According to Moneyplace (part of the Kontur business ecosystem), available to Izvestia, the demand for them in May–June of this year on the largest marketplaces exceeds the figures of the same period last year by almost two times. For example, camping stoves, solar panels, trunk awnings, car cables and shovels were twice as likely to be bought. Sales of folding tables and chairs increased 2.5 times, and multitool knives and roof boxes tripled.
In some categories, demand has increased sixfold — in particular, travelers are actively buying camping gear. Moreover, prices for automotive products are rising. Car shovels (+81%) and multitools (+67%), towbars (+36%), tents (+25%), toilets (12%), lanterns (+12%), air mattresses for sleeping (+11.9%) and thermal bags (+10.2%) have especially risen in price. Some products have fallen slightly in price, Moneyplace analysts say, such as camping stoves (-1.56%) and showers (-4.46%), while the average receipt for roof boxes, dry rations and car cables remained unchanged.
A set of car travelers this season will cost more than 50 thousand rubles, Moneyplace estimated. This amount includes the purchase of an awning for the trunk, under which you can hide from the weather during a stop, a car cable and shovel, a tow bar, a trunk or a box on the roof of a car, bicycle mounts, an inflatable mattress for sleeping, a refrigerator bag, a tent, a sleeping bag, a dry ration, a camping stove, a folding table and chairs, a multitool knife, an axe, a camping lantern, a camping shower, a toilet and solar panels for charging gadgets.
The most expensive items are a box on the roof of a car (10.3 thousand rubles), a tent (5.5 thousand rubles), a toilet (5.5 thousand rubles). On average, travelers spend about 5.2 thousand rubles on solar panels, and 3.5 thousand rubles for a set of tables and chairs for folding tourist furniture.
The need to drive a car
The National Association of Automobile Tourism and Caravanning notes the significant interest of Russians in tourist trips by car.
— We have recorded the need of citizens for domestic trips by car, including multimodal trips. This is when residents of, say, St. Petersburg and Moscow use a plane or train, and then transfer to rented vehicles and drive around Lake Baikal, heading south towards Altai or the Far East," said Sergey Lobarev, president of the association, in an interview with Izvestia. He also expressed confidence in the growth of family car tourism.
Is there any savings?
According to Sergey Lobarev, a crew of three or four people can save 30% of the travel budget when traveling by car, and if they spend the night in a motorhome or tent, then all 40%.
Auto expert Igor Morzharetto agrees with him: if the cost of car travel, even taking into account the cost of fuel and toll roads, is divided into four, it turns out a completely different amount than when buying four round-trip tickets.
— Tourism is becoming extremely expensive, especially in times of high demand. We have regions where the infrastructure of overnight stays is already very well developed, and there are some where it does not exist at all. Currently, you can only get to the south by car, because there are no train tickets. The car becomes the only convenient way to get to the vacation, and in a sense, the vacation itself. Our motorhome business is still very small. Some people are quite happy with the option of sleeping in a car, especially since a modern crossover allows you to spread out the chairs and get comfortable," said Igor Morzharetto.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
