MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. Russian hotels may soon feature alcohol-free "all-inclusive" systems, the press service of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RUTI) said.
"The alcohol-free all-inclusive system may be introduced at Russian hotels," the press service said.
Hotels featuring an "all-inclusive" system not offering alcohol consumption have existed in Turkey for many years. This format enjoys demand among Muslims, families with children, and tourists who prefer quiet vacations without having to contend with noisy groups of revelers. The all-inclusive and ultra-all-inclusive standards of hotel services have been in effect in Russia since this July, Zvezdy Otelyam [Stars to Hotels] CEO Liliya Bitkulova said.
"There should be alcoholic drinks under the standard. However, one should not forget this is a recommendation and not a set of binding requirements. There is also the concept of a hotel’s internal standard and if they, for example, [choose to] focus on quiet family-oriented holidays [for tourists] with children, they may opt for the alcohol-free all-inclusive system," Bitkulova noted.
According to experts, such business models as all-inclusive and ultra-all-inclusive operate well only at large hotels offering more than 150 suites and with mature infrastructure. Up to 200 hotels are now operating in Russia with this format, with the overwhelming majority of them on the Black Sea coast.