The Crimean tourism industry is concerned about the appointment of the loud-mouthed ex-hawk Zhirinovsky to a high post
Former LDPR deputy in the State Council of Crimea Nikolai Volkov has been appointed Deputy Minister of Resorts and Tourism of Crimea.
The former parliamentarian received his new appointment after he found himself out of the running in the Crimean State Council elections – he left the LDPR party , and was rejected by United Russia, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Volkov's appointment creates intrigue around the ministerial portfolio . Sergei Ganzii received it as a "firefighter on duty" when Vadim Volchenko resigned as head of the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism at the start of the resort season. Ganzii knows the industry, having served for a long time on the relevant parliamentary committee and is well-versed in both regulations and market realities.
The 2024 season passed without disruptions or scandals, with a 20% increase in tourist traffic, and the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism is now focused on filling the resorts for the New Year holidays. However, accustomed to playing second fiddle, Ganzii is not a prominent figure , unlike Volkov, who diligently emulated the speeches of the late LDPR founder Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
As head of the Culture Committee, Volkov failed to make a mark on the sector with any significant legislative initiatives. He left behind a series of rejected bills concerning a 30% discount on utility bills for Crimeans during the lockdown.
Volkov's parliamentary experience and connections with former party colleagues in the State Duma could prove useful in his new position, helping him push through a number of laws related to the tourism industry. Most notably, the bill "On Guest Houses," which aims to legalize two-thirds of tourist accommodation facilities, is stalled in the approval process for its second reading.
"The guesthouse bill is already the talk of the town, something we've been talking about for years, trying to defend our rights. A law is necessary, but it needs to be coherent , ensuring there are no contradictions between various laws, urban planning regulations, or land legislation. It needs to be a working tool for business registration, with clear requirements, a classification distinct from hotels and motels, and reasonable deadlines for compliance.
"It will take at least a year to classify all the facilities, but first, criteria for comfort and service quality in guest houses must be developed. This is a significant amount of work. Furthermore, the law will require numerous regulatory documents, the introduction of GOST standards, and amendments to the law on tourism activities," noted Natalia Stambulnikova, Chair of the Association of Small Hotels of Crimea.
It's not yet clear what area Volkov will oversee as deputy minister. He isn't even listed as a manager on the Ministry of Resorts' website. However, industry representatives believe this shouldn't serve as a springboard to a ministerial position – Crimea's tourism sector faces too many challenges for a prominent figure to lead it.
“The current minister has shown in a short period of time that he is a good manager and is able to respond to the challenges facing the industry,” one of the industry experts, who wished to remain anonymous, emphasized to Politnavigator.