If in St. Petersburg will allow river navigation for ships, and the season of river cruises will be able to access, the demand for them will only be from local residents and Muscovites. This was stated by the Director of the boat of the Association «Petrograd» Nicholas the Baptist in the framework of the online marathon of «Rosbalt» in support of small and average business «to Save the business: mission (im)possible?».
«If St. Petersburg still denied navigation, domestic tourism will not save the situation. Any business in our city is divided into three large parts: migrants from regions of Russia, tourists from abroad and local St. Petersburg Muscovites who bought the ships events. Foreign tourists will not come to us until they open the border, half of the guests from the regions, too. Including due to the fact that it is unclear what regimes now operate in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and whether it will respect the 14-day quarantine. Furthermore, the population in the regions is very impoverished at the time of the pandemic and is unlikely to travel. There are only Muscovites St. Petersburg», — explained Nikolay Predtechensky.
According to the shipowner, the reasons for optimism among water tourism is now a little, and some companies may go bankrupt.
«We are already seeing online ads about selling ships that have recently been in work. Revenue already lost many in St. Petersburg are 300 passenger ships about 300 boats that operate every year. These 600 units can be multiplied by five and get the number of employees engaged in water tourism. Many are now sent on indefinite leave without pay», — says Nikolay Predtechensky.
Recall, river navigation was about to open in St. Petersburg on 6 April, but in the period of the pandemic on the work of passenger ships was prohibited.
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