D evelopment history of hotel industry of Russia

Development [23] history of hotel industry of Russia. The article deals with the development of the hospitality industry in Russia from the middle ages to the present day. The development of the hotel industry in Russia has passed the main stages of the formation of European hotels. The article describes several main stages in the development of the hospitality industry: the beginning of the XII-XIII centuries. In addition, subsequent changes to the XV-XX centuries. According to the article, the 1980s Olympics strongly influenced the hospitality industry, taking it to a new level, but later, in the 90s, it began to deteriorate due to the economic and political situation. It cannot be denied that there were many problems in the hotel industry in Russia at that time, among them: unattractive rooms in hotels, lack of qualified personnel and investment, etc. Modern trends in the development of the hotel industry in Russia was outlined in Russia about a few years ago and continues to grow. This is supported by the continuing deficit in the supply of hotel services in almost all price categories with a stable demand. In the conditions of constantly changing dynamics of the market this circumstance can be a decisive argument in favor of construction of the hotel enterprise. Totally about 4000 hotels, including sanatoria and boarding houses work at the Russian market of hotel industry.

The hotel industry of Russia developed in the context of the all-European process and repeated in the main stages of formation of the European hotels.

Development in Russia of the enterprises of hospitality was connected with tourism development. On the seacoasts, in picturesque places, in the cultural centers, construction of large and small hotels are developed. Their technical equipment is gradually improved, comfortable conditions for guests were created, forms and methods of service change.

Tourism and the hotel industry increasing every year have turned into «the industry of services», which in combination with «show business» became a source of large income. The modern «industry of hospitality» includes hotels, restaurants, bars, resorts, gambling facilities, casino, recreation facility.

Thus, in Russia growth of material and technical hotel resources in the country was determined by the following factors: development of the existing cities and establishing of new; growth of the industry, science, culture and art: increase of well-being of people. It has created prerequisites for development of internal tourism, exchange of delegations, the increases in number inbound tourism and holidaymakers [2].

In Russia hotel business has begun to develop in the XII-XIII centuries with the advent of inns. Then they were called holes, were used for rest of messengers and change of horses, and settled down at distance of horse transition. At the same time, the first rules in hotel service have begun to develop. They were called «Hide».

By 15th century, inns have joined post stations; in effect, it is possible to call them prototypes of motels. In the big Russian cities there was Gostiniy Dvor differing from night shelter in the fact that here travelers had an opportunity not only placements and food, but also commission of commercial operations i.e. in Gostiniy Dvor a rooming house, malls, benches, warehouses united. As a rule, all this was enclosed with walls and towers with entrance gate.

In the 19th century in Russia coffee and tea becomes fashionable. There are first French restaurants and coffee houses candy stores. In 1882 in St. Petersburg the first tea factory has opened.

At the end of 19 the beginning of the 20th century there is active a construction of the hotel enterprises. Among them, the magnificent hotels reckoned on satisfaction of demand of millionaires and the nobility. It is Metropol and National in Moscow, Europe in St. Petersburg. In 1910 in Russia, there were 4685 hotels, apart from inns and taverns with numbers.

After the October Revolution all hotels had been nationalized by the decree of the Soviet government, the hotel economy has undergone radical reorganization.

By 1940 hotels have been constructed in 669 cities. In days of the World War II huge damage has been caused to all national economy including to hotel industry. In post-war years a lot of work on reconstruction and construction of new hotels was developed. By 1960 in the Soviet Union served in 1476 hotels. Predetermine further development of the hotel industry an urbanization, industrial growth, increase in material well-being of people.

In 1980, on the eve of the Moscow Olympic Games, the hotel economy of the USSR contained 7000 hotels with a capacity of 700 thousand places. Many large, comfortable hotels had been constructed.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, because of an economic and political situation in the country there was a considerable recession of demand for hotel services. The number of the hotel enterprises was reduced; there was a ruin of the most part of country hotels. The largest by the sizes of the number of rooms of hotel were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Since the beginning of the 90th years, the hotel industry was characterized by an intensification of processes of merges and absorption. Rapid growth of hotel corporations, increase in the concluded franchising agreements, merging of the isolated hotels in consortia was observed. First of all it is connected with use by hotel chains of standard forms of the organization of work and economy of means at the expense of activity scale in such areas as advance of a trademark, purchase of necessary resources and professional development of personnel.

 It is possible to allocate a number of the main problems, which the Russian hotel industry during the period from 1993 to 2005 had faced:

- The isolated hotels had low coefficient of loading, they offered unattractive rooms, the scale of their activity was extremely low, and the lack of qualified personnel was felt.

- Decline in demand, high cost of the capital, backwardness of tourist objects, high cost of construction works, bureaucracy and corruption at distribution of the land plots were the main external obstacles for development of hotels.

- A considerable part of hotels were owned by municipalities, which could not satisfy requirement of hotels for investment resources.

Among problems, which the Russian hotel industry during the period from 1993 to 2005 had faced, it is possible to call also lack of a control system of quality of services, insufficiently developed mechanism of investment into hotel economy and limited presence of world hotel chains in the Russian market, etc [1].

It should be noted that the market model of economy demands development of essentially new approaches to formation of the organizational and economic mechanism of development of hotel economy of Russia.

Studying of history of development of the hotel industry in Russia, has found out that this process is very difficult and demands serious reorganization of the economic and social relations not only in hotels, but in general in the sphere of tourism. The deep analysis of current state of the Russian hotel industry, the forecast of future states and development of models of development is for this purpose necessary.

Current trends of development of the hotel industry in Russia interest in hotel construction was outlined in Russia about several years ago and continues to grow. It is supported with the remaining deficiency of the offer of hotel services practically in all price categories at stable demand. Besides, hotel business allows varying flexibly rates not only within month or week, but also on a daily basis. Lease contracts of office or floor spaces are long-term and don't provide a possibility of revision of conditions during rent term. In the conditions of constantly changing dynamics of the market this circumstance can be a decisive argument in favor of construction of the hotel enterprise.

The last ten years the Russian hotel market annually grew for 15-20%, and market size was about $4 billion. In total about 4000 hotels, including sanatoria and boarding houses work at the Russian market that makes more than 410 thousand places [3].

References:

 

1. Barchukov, I.S. i dr.Gostinichnyj biznes i industriya razvitiya turizma. – M.: Knorus, 2014.

2. Baumgarten, L.V. Marketing gostinichnogo predpriyatiya. Praktikum/L.V.Baumgarten – M.: Vuzovskij uchebnik, NIC INFRA-M, 2016.

3. Zhukova, M.A. Industriya turizma: menedzhment organizacii / M.A. Zhukova. – M.: Finansy i statistika, 2017.

 

Key words: hospitality industry, Russia, development, history, hotels.