The introduction of resort tax in Russia has caused a lot of noise in our society. And it cannot be said that only opposition "from the people" were opponents of innovation. Disputes erupted at all levels, including the cabinet. As expected in a "normal democratic" state, President V.V. Putin himself put an end to it. As you know, after his opinion, all discussions and disputes cease. What is a resort fee in Russia? Why is it needed, what is its essence? We will try to answer all these questions in this article.
The concept
The resort fee in Russia is a mandatory fee charged from tourists arriving at a particular tourist site. Its goal is to maintain existing infrastructure.
Where should the collection proceeds go?
All funds from the collection go exclusively to the budget of the complex in which vacationers are located. Apparently, therefore, federal officials strongly opposed its introduction. It is one thing to introduce a new tax that goes to the Center, and another to introduce a fee that will go towards the development of a particular facility. Popularity from this decreases, because the new collection has not yet given popularity to anyone, and money is not added. The essence of the resort fee, which will be effective from March 1, 2017, is that the funds from it should be in the hands of a particular tourist attraction and should be directed to:
- Modernization of resort areas.
- Environmental financing.
- Service improvement.
- Reconstruction of tourist sites, monuments, etc.
That is why the heads of those regions that have huge tourist flows: Krasnodar Territory, Altai Territory, the Golden Ring regions, etc., spoke out most actively for him.
New - well forgotten old?
Middle-aged and older people know that the resort fee in Russia, reviews among ordinary citizens about which are extremely negative, already existed relatively recently. It was introduced back in 1991 - the Law of the RSFSR "On resort collection from individuals" - and lasted until 2004. In the early 2000s. a course was taken for a sharp reduction in taxes. The country "came out of the shadows", such measures were well advertised. Fees per person were minimal, they did not bear a special financial burden. The uninitiated did not even know that it existed, and only heard about it after it was canceled.
Today, everything is different. Society very negatively perceives the introduction of any additional fees or taxes, as well as an increase in existing ones. In an era of economic crisis and a decline in the purchasing power of citizens, in anticipation of the presidential election, such a step indicates the full confidence of the authorities in their actions.
How much do you have to pay
The peculiarity of the new gathering is that there is no fixed amount that our vacationer did not particularly notice. New prices will be differentiated - the regions have been given economic will and freedom of action. This means that the announced collection price from 50 to 450 rubles per day is just a recommendation that does not have the force of law.
The final cost will depend on the particular tourist destination and on the rates that local officials will set. It was not for nothing that the governors of the tourist regions, united, lobbied for the initiative on a united front.
What will collection mean in practice?
In practice, the resort fee in Russia will mean one thing - a significant increase in the cost of permits. So, for example, a family of 4 people can additionally leave about 2 thousand rubles per day at our resorts. Add this in 10-15 days and we will get almost the cost of one “burning” ticket to Turkey.
The resort fee is not for everyone
It is not known how things will be in the future, but from March 1, 2017, it was decided to introduce a resort fee in test mode in four regions:
- Altai region.
- Krasnodar region.
- Stavropol region.
- Crimea.
The size of the resort fee, each region will determine independently, while it is recommended to make it as low as possible.
Altai Territory has not yet disclosed its data on tariffs, as for the rest of the test regions, they have already determined the size, calculated the possible profit. The Ministry for North Caucasus Affairs expects to receive about 700 million rubles in the new holiday season, this at a maximum rate of 150 rubles / day. Crimea, however, announced a one-time fee of 300 rubles, regardless of the number of days.
And how are they?
The practice of resort gathering is common in many tourist countries, but not in all. You will have to pay in France (1-3 euros), Egypt (7 dollars), Spain (0.7-2.5 euros). There are no such duties in Turkey, Bulgaria and India, but Russia always relies on the experience of those who increase taxes and fees and introduces new ones in such matters.
Difficult way to introduce collection
The new fee to local budgets truly harmed the right to exist. Back in 2011, President D. A. Medvedev ordered to study the issue of local tax and develop the necessary mechanisms. Then the idea was lobbied by the governor of the Stavropol Territory. Then officials and economists of various departments were against such an idea. As arguments, it was stated:
- Lack of expediency and effectiveness of the collection.
- Negative attitude to domestic tourism. Then about any bans on going abroad, import substitution, sanctions and counter-sanctions, an appeal to patriotism was out of the question. Our citizens chose a “burning” ticket to Turkey instead of the Krasnodar Territory, because it was much cheaper, and the service is better. Now, with the devaluation, economic and political problems in Russia and the world, this balance is gradually equalizing, and in the near future, most likely, the role of domestic tourism will increase significantly.
- Such a gathering, according to many officials, can provoke various gray and corruption schemes. The persistence and perseverance with which this idea is promoted by local authorities gives reason to think about it.
Be that as it may, but Medvedev’s proposal was “lost” in the Ministry of Finance. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak tried to figure out the situation in April, and in May the Ministry of Finance made a final decision on the inappropriateness of the collection. This initiative D.A. Medvedev and ended as president. The next time he remembered her in September 2014 at the International Economic Forum.
In May 2015, the Government already rejected the draft of senators Evgeny Bushminov, Sergey Ryabukhin, Vladimir Petrov. However, not a single ministry was interested in them: neither Rospotrebnadzor, nor the Ministry of Finance, nor the Ministry of Economic Development. Federal officials felt that the costs would be much higher than the fees themselves. Perhaps, in this way, officials hinted at a lack of desire to work for specific regions for free, since all funds will be completely deposited on the ground.
There is a collection - no service
Tour operators also opposed. The main argument is a negative assessment of consumers. This is logical: how can an additional fee be collected where there are no more or less normal conditions compared to Turkey itself. The necessary funds for the reconstruction of existing complexes are collected through such fees only after a few years. Consequently, the first vacationers will actually pay for others who come here a few years later. This, to put it mildly, is unfair and even, one might say, unconstitutional.
The fight for the collection continues
In the summer of 2015, the Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) announced that a pilot project will appear in the Stavropol Territory. The law is lobbying the Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs. It offers to make a fixed rate - 50-100 rubles. The funds should go to pay for the hotel and the guesthouse upon. There was no talk of any increase in the cost of trips due to the introduction of a new collection.
In April 2016, the Ministry of Economic Development gives a negative opinion on such measures. The main argument is a significant increase in the cost of trips in the absence of proper control over cash. Imagine a family of 4 for half a month will give almost 8.5 thousand rubles, and it is not known what this money will be used for. One can hardly hope that without proper control this money will go to the development of infrastructure to a penny. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, this money will be deposited in the gray bureaucratic schemes of local officials.
The last word for the president
Vladimir Putin supported the introduction of resort fees. After that, all the contradictions of officials at all levels immediately stopped. The project has become both expedient, and profitable, and justified. Instead of one pilot region, four were introduced. Judging by the project, the resort fee in Russia is from 300 rubles once to 450 rubles. per day per person.