The Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism and Hotel Business in the Kursk Region
The relevance of the study is determined by the critical situation of the tourism and hotel business in all regions of the country in the conditions of a new viral infection, including the Kursk region. The purpose of this study is to study the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism and hotel business in the Kursk region. Objectives: to identify the impact of COVID-19 on the state of the tourism and hotel business in the Kursk region; to clarify the ways out of the crisis situation; to study the features of attracting tourists under covid restrictions; to identify key economic and social consequences for the tourism and hotel business of the Kursk region in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The methodology is presented by methods of scientific generalization, collection and processing of information, analysis and synthesis. The results of the study showed that in the conditions of a new viral infection, the tourist and hotel business of the Kursk region is experiencing a significant drop in tourist demand. The spread of a new viral infection did not scare citizens and entrepreneurs so much at first. However, the gradual absorption of country after country, an increasing number of infected and dead became not only the cause of fear of the people, but also the introduction of serious measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. One of the first measures was the restriction of visits to crowded places and the work of hotels, further, it became simply impossible to stay in a hotel. Travel agencies and hotels in the Kursk region still cannot finally "get back on their feet" despite the lifting of strict restrictions and the popularization of domestic tourism among citizens of the Russian Federation. There are no accumulated financial reserves that could mitigate the critical economic situation. It is very difficult for small enterprises of the tourism and hotel business to survive without government support in the current conditions. Conclusion. Travel agencies and hotels of the Kursk region in the conditions of a pandemic of a new viral infection risk not only not attracting new consumers of their services, but also losing a significant number of regular customers. For travel companies, the weakening of the tourist flow, both from foreign countries and domestic tourists, is a threat. Hotels in the region are also acutely dependent on the demand for tourist services. The dependence of the tourism and hotel business on government support is increasing. The coronavirus pandemic, at least in the medium term, will not allow tourism and hotel businesses to improve their economic situation.