Gelendzhik residents complain about lack of tourists because of FIFA World Cup

In Gelendzhik, local residents believe that the presence of the national football teams of Iceland and Sweden that chose the city to be their training base had produced a negative impact on the tourist season and prevented tourists from coming.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the period from June 14 to July 15, Russia hosts the FIFA World Cup. Teams of Sweden and Iceland have chosen the "Spartak" and "Olymp" athletic fields in Gelendzhik as bases for their training.

The trainings of the football teams discouraged tourists who preferred to watch matches of the FIFA World Cup at home, said residents of Gelendzhik interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. The local residents noted the absence of an atmosphere of a football holiday in the city.

"Look, the city is almost empty. People prefer to postpone their arrival. They believe the city streets will be blocked and expect other problems related with the football players. The second summer month has started, but we have not actually earned much money. We do not have football fans like in Sochi. The football players stay at five-star hotels, and we stay without money," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Karine Martirosyan, an owner of a mini hotel.

The arrival of the national football teams of Iceland and Sweden in Gelendzhik have negatively affected the resort business, which is a source of earnings for the majority of citizens, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Arthur Bagaryan, a resident of Gelendzhik. "Many tourists decided to postpone their trips, and by the beginning of the season, the hotels stay half empty, since no one wants to experience inconvenience during vacations," Arthur Bagaryan stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 7, 2018 at 02:58 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.