Tour operators have recorded an increase in demand for holidays in Anapa.

Miracleon Beach, which has received new sand, will open on April 15. Demand for vacations in Anapa has already begun to grow, and tour operators have indicated that news of the beaches' reopening will also spur price increases. As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," new sand will appear on all sandy beaches in Anapa by June 1, as the government commission for the oil spill cleanup has deemed this an effective solution. Water and soil samples on the pebble beaches meet standards, and they are being prepared for reopening, according to the governor of Kuban. If the work goes according to plan, the sandy beaches will reopen as early as June 1. The quality of the sand delivered to the Anapa beach is questionable; it is construction sand with clay admixtures, an ecologist pointed out, noting that this could cause long-term damage to the beaches. Users believe that the goal of reopening the beaches will be achieved despite the environmental damage. Environmentalists and activists point out that quarry sand will not solve the problem of fuel oil emissions, but will only temporarily conceal the pollution on Anapa's beaches.

The beach at the Miracleon resort will open on April 15, according to a statement on the resort's website.

"The opening of the beach directly impacts demand; for most guests, the opportunity to relax by the sea remains a key factor when choosing a resort. "We've already seen an increase in inquiries and booking interest during the beach renovations," Kommersant quotes Kristina Livshchits, Deputy Director of Sales and Marketing at the Miracleon resort.

The opening of the beaches will lead to higher prices for vacations in Anapa, according to Sergey Romashkin, Vice President of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia and CEO of the Dolphin travel agency.

"Currently, Anapa is the cheapest resort on the Black Sea. The reason is clear: these are anti-crisis prices, dumping prices. To some extent, they won't happen again. Anapa is currently 15-20% cheaper than Crimea, Sochi, or Gelendzhik. A night's stay in Anapa currently costs between 3,900 and 4,000 rubles with three meals a day in a four-star hotel. The average stay is nine days, or 36,000 rubles per person, compared to around 50,000 rubles in Crimea. "We expect prices to gradually rise throughout April, and those who don't buy in the coming months will receive average Black Sea market prices," BFM quoted him as saying.

This year, positive dynamics are already noticeable, says Maria Dosyagaeva, Head of Marketing at Zenith Resort.

"We're already celebrating the school holidays, starting on March 28th, with almost 100% occupancy—over 600 people in the hotel. Ahead of us are the Easter weeks and the May holidays, which are especially popular. Of course, we're looking forward to this season with particular anticipation, and it's gaining momentum. We can see this both in the bookings and in how quickly the tickets, which have just gone on sale, are selling out," the publication states.

On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait. A crew member from one of the tankers died as a result. In addition, an oil spill occurred, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait".

Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spill have been collected by the "Caucasian Knot" on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban".

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