Tourism industry experts have noted a growing interest among tourists in Anapa.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," oil spills were recorded on Anapa beaches from April 11th to 16th. The spill sites have been localized, 247 tons of contaminated soil have been collected, and 229 tons have been removed, according to the Kuban task force.
On April 10th, an oil spill moving toward Anapa was discovered 11 kilometers from the shore. It was treated with a sorbent, and approximately 28 tons of the oil-containing mixture were collected from the water's surface. The source of the oil spill is believed to be a civilian vessel attacked by Ukrainian drones outside Russian territorial waters, according to Kuban authorities.
Demand for vacations in Anapa has exceeded 2025 figures by 40%, and low prices are providing an additional incentive to vacation at the resort. The beaches will undoubtedly reopen, and the recent oil spill will not hinder this, according to tourism industry experts.
Demand for vacations in Anapa is high – 40% higher than last year, according to Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI).
According to the RTI, 4.5 million people vacationed in Anapa in previous years, and approximately 2.5 million in 2025. The industry expects approximately 3.5 million tourists in 2026. The main season is traditionally summer: June, July, and August, writes Moscow 24. Anapa has become an alternative to other resorts this year, such as Sochi, where prices are higher. It is more attractive precisely from a cost perspective, and everyone is hoping for the season to open. The only alternatives are international travel – Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, and Vietnam. Among Russian destinations, Black Sea resorts are traditionally preferred, and many also choose river and lake vacations, but in summer, everyone prefers the sea. Gorin added that Anapa is attractive due to its large number of hotels offering all-inclusive packages. Moreover, there are convenient, gently sloping beaches for families with children, while other resorts have pebbly and rocky shores.
"A 7-day vacation for two in Anapa will cost an average of 90,000 rubles, excluding transportation costs. This is a separate category, as you can get there by train or plane," Gorin noted.
Vice President of the Alliance of Travel Agencies of Russia (ATA) Alexander Mkrtchyan commented on the oil spill in Anapa.
"There is a well-known resort of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Oil spills have been recorded there for the past 30 years, and the tourist flow only increases year after year. The water itself is clean, and emissions, when they appear, are removed and absorbed," His words are quoted in the publication.
In his opinion, Anapa's beaches will undoubtedly reopen.
"Everyone understands perfectly well that 100% of the territories will be open by June: from Utrish to Veselovka. Rospotrebnadzor's conclusions are a formality. Tourists have been actively booking vacations in Anapa since January," Komsomolskaya Pravda quotes him as saying.
As a reminder, in Anapa, amid government announcements about the imminent opening of beaches, hotel bookings have increased. However, tourism industry representatives, as well as local residents, have expressed caution regarding the prospects for the start of the resort season. Bookings in Anapa are brisk at hotels where beach vacations are not the main focus, tour operators reported.
Work to replenish beaches with new sand should be completed by the start of the beach season, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister stated. He added that if the work goes according to plan, the beaches will be open by June 1. Environmentalists, however, believe it's too early to talk about the beaches' suitability for tourists, as the sunken parts of the fuel oil tankers have not yet been raised, and residual pollution remains on the sand. Following the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, 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. In 2025, following the fuel oil spill, Anapa saw 60% fewer tourists than in 2024, while demand for other resorts in the Krasnodar Territory and Dagestan increased. Some tourists went to Anapa only because hotels were forced to offer significant discounts. Due to record declines in revenue, Anapa's sanatoriums and children's camps are teetering on the brink of closure.
On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait. A crew member of one of the tankers died. 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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Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422554
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