Inna Ryndina's interview for the portal Hotelier.PRO
Interview of Inna Ryndina, Commercial Director of the Russian Seasons Management Company, for the portal Hotelier.PRO
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Who are they — those who rejected the services of the Yandex Travel service and decided to go their own way without an aggregator?
At his recent conference, YAP reported that thanks to the announcement of broad gestures to hoteliers and measures to support domestic tourism, the service regained the favor of most hotel companies, which had previously cut off cooperation with the aggregator with a loud demarche.
However, the Russian Seasons hotel group has evaded the embrace of the YAP and has not resumed working with the service.
"Unlike some of the market, we decided not to return to Yandex Travel," said Inna Ryndina, Commercial Director of the Russian Seasons Hotel Group. "Because the main risk is the loss of its own traffic, because the aggregator is gradually closing in on demand, which means price management."
"When we abandoned YAP, the growth of direct bookings at the Selo Vyatskoye Hotel and the Peresvet Resort was 48%," she added.
So, the "Russian Seasons" is not run by madmen, but by geniuses?
"Indeed, the transformation of marketing strategies, restrictions on contacts between guests and hotels against the background of the replacement of previously popular messengers, the reduction in the volume of the MICE segment — these factors force many suburban hoteliers to adjust to easy ways to attract guests through large—scale aggregators," explained Inna Ryndina. "But we decided not to look for an easy way."
In 2015, against the background of a decline in the volume of bookings in the post-Olympic period, 90% of hoteliers followed a similar path, choosing an easy way to receive a preliminary advance through the rigid blocks of operators. It was this way that "hooked" all hotels on dependence on tour operators.
Now it is important not to lose control of the situation and follow not the simplest path, but the right one, which will allow you to create a strong product that does not depend on turbulence and advances through intermediaries, Russian Seasons believes.
"Unlike the main part of the market, we decided not to return to Yandex Travel, because we understand that the commission is just the tip of the iceberg. The main risk is the loss of your own already created traffic, which hotels will lose due to the blocking of brand queries by the aggregator. The aggregator gradually closes in on demand, which means price management. At some point, the cost of attraction becomes higher than it seems at the entrance.
Yes, the decision to leave Yandex Travel is currently unprofitable for someone. Especially for urban hotels with complex logistics without a well-developed competitive infrastructure, where the location does not sell itself. But for facilities with infrastructure and product, it's a matter of strategy, not traffic. We choose to work with the guest directly. Longer. It's more complicated. But with control," Inna Ryndina emphasized.
"The main way to survive today is to deliver the right product," she said. — According to our surveys, 80% of the guests want to see meaningful impressions. Not the grandiose "find the best version of yourself", but the basic values at the right price with the possibility of transformation. The functional value of the product is important."
"It's not worth comparing 2026 with covid 2020," the expert noted. — Now we are in a period when all the factors that accumulated from 2020 to 2026 have reached their peak. The recession is only gaining momentum."
Today, the Russian hospitality market has entered very "sensitive" times, to put it mildly. On the one hand, the increased "sensitivity" is provoked by fiscal pressure (this is an increase in personnel costs in conditions of shortage, an increase in the tax burden due to VAT for simplified taxation, an increase in the tourist tax rate to 2%, an increase in utility costs, an increase in the cost of business in terms of purchases). On the other hand, the tourist flow is deteriorating: inbound tourism is stalling, while the domestic tourist flow is either growing at a slow pace, stagnating, or (as in Sochi) falling.
In conditions of impending stagnation, the marketing department requires special concentration and, most importantly, a clear understanding of its strategy.
Inna Ryndina draws attention to five strategic issues for marketing in 2026:
The aggregator for the hotel will not develop a strategy, it has its own strategy. The aggregator will not offer a strategy, but an "easy way" to armor.
*** Remarketing, a policy aimed at retaining repeat guests, is becoming more important for hoteliers. Because without repeat sales, a business has to constantly pour money into advertising, lower prices, and compete for the attention of new customers. In an environment where the cost of attracting is growing, competition is intensifying, and demand is stalling, companies that have learned to work not only to attract, but also to retain consumers benefit.
In this regard, TravelLine has gone even further and developed a new module, a loyalty referral program for guests. That is, the "old" guests invite new ones to the hotel. For the "buns", again.
What if the guest also pays for bringing new guests? (Last year, the guests purchased 270 million rubles worth of certificates through TravelLine, and used them... only 30%).
Hoteliers have developed many excellent tools for attracting and retaining guests. As they say, the master's business is afraid! And you don't have to be a genius to do that.
Full version of the material on the source: Hotelier.PRO