Have you heard of Sheregesh? But it is there (and also in Kamchatka, the Caucasus and House) are the Russians are going to celebrate the New Year

Learned everything about the holidays for the holidays during Covid

The boundaries between the regions of Russia for the New Year will still not close. Despite the alarming statements of the Ministry of Health

On December 8, 26,097 new cases of coronavirus were registered in Russia. This is immediately two thousand less than the day earlier, and three thousand below the indicator on December 6. Then in Russia a record was revealed 29,039 cases.

The next day - December 7 - Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko spoke at the conference "Medicine and Quality". According to RIA Novosti, due to an increase in incidence, the minister proposed limiting the movement of Russians between the regions and inside them between settlements.

However, immediately after the news of the minister’s proposal, Assistant Murashko Alexei Kuznetsov said that the phrase was pulled out of context and the Ministry of Health did not propose to close the boundaries between the regions. Kuznetsov explained that Murashko only listed measures that were already used in other countries - and which could be used in Russia to stop the spread of infection.

Apparently, Kuznetsov did not cunning and the movement between the regions will not be limited. A source of Medusa, close to the presidential administration, emphasized that the interregional boundaries will not close, unless something “extraordinary” happens. At the same time, the interlocutor of Medusa advised the Russians to still stay at the holidays of the house - so as not to spread coronavirus.

A source of Medusa, close to the leadership of one of the resort regions of the North Caucasus District, also noted that the issue of restrictions on trips with the federal leadership was not even discussed.

Most Russians are going to celebrate the New Year at home. The rest will fly to the Caucasus, in Sochi and for the Urals

According to a survey of the reservation service of tickets and tours Tutu.ru (one and a half thousand people participated in it), 72% of the respondents will remain at home from December 25 to January 10. Already bought tickets somewhere only 12%. 8% plan to do this in the near future, and 4% will be booking at the very last moment. Another 4% did not take tickets because they plan a trip in their car.

The Russians who are still going to travel for the New Year, mainly buy tickets to Moscow, Petersburg, Sochi, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar or Mineral Waters - this is what the Aviasales aggregator provided by Medusa. Muscovites were the most popular areas for recreation on the New Year Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg, reports Tutu.ru.

In general, according to Aviasales, Russian directions in almost closed boundaries (Russians cannot fly freely to most countries of the world) accounts for 95% of the reservations. Among international areas, the Russians chose Turkey, Egypt and the UAE.

According to Aviasales, the demand for tickets to Novokuznetsk has grown in comparison with last year - immediately 67% to last year. Such a demand is explained by the fact that in about two and a half hours of driving from Novokuznetsk there is a ski resort Sheregesh - before the pandemic, it was popular mainly among the Siberians. Due to the general decline in the tourist flow of tours to Sheregesh , on average, one and a half times cheaper than a year ago. Now weekly tours from Moscow to Sheregesh with a departure of December 31 or January 1 are offered from 60 thousand rubles.

Despite the fact that this year a little snow fell in Sheregesh, the places in local hotels end, and the apartments in nearby villages are booked a few weeks in advance.

Demand has grown for tickets in Sochi, Murmansk and Mineral Water, as well as Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

Moreover, according to the aggregators, it is now possible to fly somewhere in the New Year holidays less than a year earlier. According to Aviasales, on average, the flight inside the country for the New Year holidays by one by one person will cost 7346 rubles-this is 38% cheaper than last year. According to Tutu.ru, the average check for the flight from December 25 to January 10 decreased by 34%.

At the same time, now the regions themselves decide what restrictions to introduce because of Covid. For example, in Sheregesh, the ski season was opened on November 14, but tourists are handing over to the coronavirus - and if they are sick, they are sent to the observator. And on the cable roads there is a mask regime.

In Sochi, ski resorts also work for all visitors. There was even a special train “Ski arrow” for residents of Rostov and Krasnodar. At the same time, they promise that on holidays tourists will be able to quickly hand over the covid tests if necessary, all entertainment events will take place in the open air, and the cafe will work until midnight.

One of the most popular areas was Petersburg. So far, local authorities have not introduced tough restrictions - and asked tourists not to come

Some of the most stringent restrictions on the New Year holidays were introduced in St. Petersburg. Local authorities began to take tough measures immediately after two consecutive concerts by rapper Basta in the Ice Palace at the end of November - in aggregate they gathered about 12 thousand spectators.

On December 2, Governor Alexander Beglovsigned a resolution on new coronavirus restrictions. According to it, from December 30 to January 3, bars, restaurants and other institutions will completely close in the city. From December 25 to 29 and from January 4 to 10, they will be able to work from 6 to 19 hours. From December 30 to January 10, museums, theaters and the Leningrad Zoo will be closed, and exhibitions and concerts are also banned. The same dates have a ban on holding any events of more than 50 people, as well as for the transportation of passengers by buses on tourist and excursion routes.

Vice-Governor Evgeny Elin said that such toughening of restrictions was caused by the Basta concerts-he called new measures “Basta lessons”. Elin added that the authorities intend to deliberately reduce the attractiveness of the city for tourists on holidays. “We love guests very much, we love tourists very much, but, excuse me, not this year. Therefore, we, in general, reduce the tourist attractiveness of the city and tell the guests: let's take care of your health, about the health of your children and the health of residents. This year is not necessary to come to us, ”he added.

Governor Beglov spoke tougher. On December 7, he stated that St. Petersburg was close to a full Locksu. He stated that St. Petersburg hospitals work at the limit of capabilities, and after the New Year the city will approach the “red line” of incidence, after which the hospitals will stop providing planning and only Covid will fight. Every day in St. Petersburg more than three and a half thousand new cases are recorded .

According to the press secretary of the Russian Tourism Union Irina Tyurina, Lokdown in St. Petersburg was announced unexpectedly for tour operators-they, on the contrary, expected that this direction would be one of the most popular and profitable this year. Among other things, the company prepared special offers for tourists - for example, to celebrate the New Year in an excursion bus.

However, after the introduction of new restrictive measures, tour operators register mass rejection of tours to St. Petersburg. “No one wants to go to a closed city, because Petersburg is more about city tours, museums, theaters and restaurants,” Tyurina explained.

Instead of St. Petersburg, tourists are offered other directions - for example, Kaliningrad, Vologda and even the Leningrad region. In the region, there are less stringent restrictions due to Covid. For example, there will be no Hermitage in the Winter Palace on vacation - and the Gatchinsky Palace (you can get from the city in about an hour) will be able to accept tourists.

The Petersburgers themselves have the most popular direction for the holidays is Moscow, the data of tickets for the sale of tickets say. In Moscow on the New Year holidays, it is not planned to introduce additional restrictive measures, but New Year's Christmas trees and other New Year events were canceled . Theaters, cinemas and concert halls can work, but their occupancy should not exceed 25%. Cafe, bars and other establishments will not be able to work from 23 to 6 hours. That is, to celebrate the New Year in a bar or restaurant, as in St. Petersburg, will not work.

Alexandra Sivtsova with the participation of Andrei Pertsev