Sverdlovsk tour operators called on authorities not to increase the tax.

      Representatives of the tourism sector have called to cap the travel tax at 2%. Otherwise, serious damage will be inflicted on domestic tourism. This was told to EAN by Mikhail Maltsev, president of the Ural Association of Tourism.

      — This position was officially voiced by me at the congress of the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry in Moscow. The event was attended by the Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov; the proposal was officially entered into the minutes. The president of the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry, Ilya Umansky, supported our position. Moreover, representatives of the Union believe that a 2% tourist tax may be applied to 4- and 5-star hotels, while hotels of 3 stars and below should be limited to a 1% tax. If a 5% tax is introduced, that would effectively put accommodation providers on the verge of profitability. That figure would be critical, EAN quotes Maltsev as saying.

      From January 1, 2025, around 60 Russian regions introduced a tourist tax on their territory or in parts of their municipalities; by 2026 it had come into force in 73 subjects of the Russian Federation. This year, separate municipalities of the Republic of Mari El and the Kursk, Moscow, Orenburg, Pskov, Samara, Smolensk and Tyumen regions joined the number of territories applying the tax.

      — With an average holiday cost of 45,000 rubles per person at a seaside hotel, in 2025 the surcharge was about 450 rubles. I would not say that this greatly affected tourists: they continue to go where they like. However, an increase of the tourist tax rate to 2% this year doubles that amount; a potential 5% would be a serious rise in the final price for the tourist, since the amount is built into the cost of hotel accommodation. We are seeing a slowdown in demand; now is not the time to increase the burden. It would be sensible to freeze the rate at 2% for the coming years. We hope the Ministry of Economic Development, which has taken up this issue, will take the industry's arguments into account, clarified ATOR vice-president for domestic tourism and CEO of tour operator "Delfin" Sergey Romashkin.

      It is worth recalling that in October reports emerged that cities in Sverdlovsk Oblast had begun to abandon the tourist tax.