Apart-hotel «Bonus», located in the gambling zone «Krasnaya Polyana», recorded the results of the first half of the summer tourist season 2023
The hotel administration notes the increased interest among vacationers in living in the mountain cluster of Sochi. This is confirmed by the hotel occupancy data. So, from June 1 to July 15, 2023, the hotel received 4452 guests. For the same period last year, «Bonus» received 2933 guests. It is important to note that the cost of a standard room has increased by 7% over the year.
This season, the principles of booking have also changed significantly. More than 65% of bookings were made by tourists on the hotel’s own website, by phone or in person while at the hotel. In 2022, various tour operators and agents were the most popular booking channel.
Changes also affected the depth of booking. For the year it has decreased by more than 2 times. This indicates a greater number of trips planned in a short time. That is, this season, tourists buy a room 3-4 days before arrival, while last year this time period was 7-10 days.
This resulted in a reduction in the booking window for the hoteliers themselves. This parameter allows the business to plan the occupancy of the room stock over a short and medium distance. The current situation in the hotel market has reduced this parameter from 2 weeks to 7 days.
Pavel Perov, General Director of the Krasnaya Polyana gambling zone, spoke about the features of managing a hotel in the gambling zone in 2023: , pleases with the dynamic growth of hotel occupancy from season to season. This is an indicator not only of the increased popularity of our tourist destination, but of the successful work of the entire team of the Bonus Appart Hotel.
Nevertheless, the modern realities of the tourism industry have reduced our booking window by 2 times. The current situation requires a prompt response to fluctuations in demand and the rapid implementation of attractive offers for guests. I note that there is still half of the summer season ahead and we are determined to maintain the success of our hotel project.
It is interesting to note that the average length of stay has increased by 2 days. In the summer of 2023, it is 4 days. At the same time, the portrait of vacationers did not change significantly. Families with children make up the bulk of the guests.
Group bookings have become an absolutely new trend compared to the previous year. During the first half of the 2022 summer season, the Bonus Hotel did not accept a single group application for accommodation. The half of the 2023 season has already brought the hotel several group bookings of more than 100 people.
The leap in the development of this area of the hotel business is directly related to the MICE activity of the Krasnaya Polyana gambling zone. The gambling cluster is increasingly serving as a venue for major business forums and conferences.
Dmitry Anfinogenov, Executive Director of the Association of Operators of the Entertainment Industry and Sports and Spectacle Events (AIRIS), explained the reasons for such changes and pointed out their inevitability: «Looking at the analytics of a particular hotel, we can see how the tourism industry and vacationers have adapted to the new economic reality. The departure of foreign aggregators has stimulated hotels to develop their booking infrastructure.
Prices for accommodation have not increased significantly. Adjusted for inflation, 7% growth looks more than moderate. However, budgets for vacations among tourists have decreased. As a result, people browse hotel websites more carefully for discounts and special offers. For this reason, hotels note a decrease in the depth of bookings.
Growth in group bookings and an increase in the number of MICE events is a trend that is typical for the whole of Sochi. Customers are looking for integrated solutions that include accommodation, multifunctional sites and rich technical capabilities. The Krasnaya Polyana gambling zone is one of the key MICE sites in the Sochi mountain cluster and actively uses market trends.