19:54, 25 January 2026

Tourists await Rospotrebnadzor's decision on Anapa's beaches.

Tourists on the beach in Anapa. Screenshot from the "Makovozovy" Telegram channel, August 28, 2025, https://t.me/makovozovy/43587.

Tourists are taking a wait-and-see approach when booking summer vacations. If Anapa's beaches don't open due to the oil spill, this could lead to a significant increase in other destinations, tour operators believe. Telegram users reported taking advantage of early bookings and have already booked tours to Anapa.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, Anapa will be ready to welcome tourists next year, stated Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, announcing the waiver of the tourist tax for the year. Hoteliers stated that bookings for next summer are extremely low. Blogger Yuri Ozarovsky recorded a video message before his direct line with Putin, asking for permission to open Anapa's beaches in 2026, assuring that there are virtually no traces of fuel oil in the sea or on the shore. However, questions from Anapa were not heard during the direct line. Demand for bookings in Anapa increased during the New Year holidays, but the prospects for the 2026 resort season depend on the authorities' decision to reopen the beaches, according to tour operators. The scientist believes it's premature to talk about a complete cleanup of the beaches. The number of tours booked to Anapa for the 2026 season has decreased by 60% compared to sales figures at the end of 2024. Hotels and other accommodation facilities are in a crisis situation comparable to the coronavirus pandemic and require urgent government support, tour operators said. From the beginning of the year to the end of September, Anapa was visited by 1.5 million tourists, which is almost three million fewer than during the same period last year. Some tourists only went to Anapa because hotels and other accommodation facilities were forced to offer significant discounts due to the fuel oil spill. Only 18,000 children attended Anapa children's camps this year; in previous years, the city hosted 120,000-130,000 children. Anapa will still have several years to restore its reputation for children's recreation following the fuel oil spill. By the end of the season, tourist traffic to Anapa had fallen by approximately 60%, amounting to approximately one billion rubles. Due to a record drop in revenue, Anapa's sanatoriums and children's camps are teetering on the brink of closure.

After the winter holidays, people are in no rush to book summer trips, according to Sergey Romashkin, CEO of the tour operator "Dolphin." Tourists who had traded Anapa for Crimea in 2025 are now adopting a wait-and-see approach. They will make a decision by mid-February: if Anapa doesn't reopen, they will again choose Crimea and other destinations, according to Turprom.

The possible opening of airports in Anapa is a key factor in increasing demand, the publication states.

The publication was reposted on his Telegram channel by the author of the "Makovozovy" blog. The publication garnered 32 comments on the Telegram channel, which has over 32,000 subscribers.

The commenters expressed optimism about the 2026 season and said they had already paid for their summer vacation in Anapa.

"We paid for an early booking at Parus in Vityazevo back in November. Even if the sea doesn't reopen, it's no big deal," said Kseniya Kostroma, citing her experience vacationing in Vityazevo during the summer. 2025.

"We were also in Vityazevo last July. Everything was great, everything was open, and the beaches were open and everything was working—entertainment, boat trips, sun loungers," reported Svetlana Krestnikova.

"And we paid for a November reservation for June in Dzhemete," reported Irina.

"We've already booked our favorite Vityazevo for July and we're not going to cancel," commented Luisa.

On the Dolphin tour operator website, out of 10 promotional offers published in the last 10 days, six, starting January 15, offered discounts on accommodations at various Anapa hotels for early booking. Tourists are offered discounts of 10-15%.

On April 18, 2025, Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) declared 141 beaches in Anapa and nine beaches in the Temryuk District unsuitable for recreation.

As a reminder, the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory set the goal of returning to pre-fuel oil levels of tourist numbers in the Krasnodar Territory and assured that Anapa will be ready to welcome tourists in 2026. Blogger Yuri Ozarovsky recorded a video message ahead of his direct line with Putin, asking for permission to open Anapa's beaches in 2026, assuring that there are virtually no traces of fuel oil in the sea or on the shore. However, questions from Anapa were not heard during the direct line. The New Year holidays saw a decline in the number of tourists in Anapa, but bookings for the May holidays, according to preliminary data, show an increase of 10% compared to last year's data.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/420234