Return tourist flow to Arkhyz ATRC in 2016/2017 exceeded 65%, to Elbrus ATRC — 55% of tourists. While there is a high level of overall guest satisfaction with the resorts and their desire to return in the new ski season: the figure was more than 80% for Arkhyz and about 72% for Elbrus. The relevant results were obtained in the course of a market research conducted by order of Joint-Stock Company Northern Caucasus Resorts during 2016/2017 ski season.
The results of the poll of Arkhyz ATRC guests showed that the regions that generate the bulk of the tourist flow, like last season, were the Stavropol territory, the Rostov region, the Krasnodar territory and Moscow. The high quality of ski slopes, the services value for money, quality of service, proximity to the place of residence and high-quality infrastructure of the resort were named as key factors to choose the holiday destination by the guests.
97% of tourists in Arkhyz come to the resort exactly for mountain tourism; the average time spent by most visitors at the resort ranges from 3 to 7 days. The number of tourists coming for a long time grows each season: this year 58% of tourists already spent 3 to 7 days in Arkhyz ATRC, that is 19% higher that in 2015/2016 season, and 50% higher than in 2014/2015 season.
The core of Elbruc ATRC visitors (i.e. 42 percent) are guests from Moscow; many tourists also come from cities and towns of the Moscow region and St. Petersburg. The choice of the resort as a holiday destination, according to its guests, is based on recommendations from friends and acquaintances, the services value for money and quality of ski slopes and their own positive experience with the previous visit to the resort.
94% of respondents arrive at Elbrus for skiing on the slopes of the highest peak in Europe. Guests prefer long-term rest format: this season, 43% of tourists spent at the resort 8 to 14 days, that is by 15% more than last season.
Like last year, guests of both resorts appreciated the level of security and public order level: 69% of guests of Arkhyz ATRC rated it as sufficient, 27% as excellent; at Arkhyz ATRC, these indicators were 76% and 17% respectively.
Commenting on the results of the marketing research, Oleg Gorchev, Director General of Joint-Stock Company Northern Caucasus Resorts, noted that polls of Arkhyz ATRC and Elbrus ATRC tourists were held at venues at the resorts already for the third consecutive winter season. ‘For the company, feedback from our guests has become an important tool to plan construction stages of ski infrastructure facilities, improvement of the resorts, development of the schedule of rates and special offers. For example, in Arkhyz, by popular demand of its guests, season ski pass was introduced – a very special offer for those who come to the resort regularly in winter. Most respondents this year noted that they got information about Arkhyz ATRC from the Internet, so we refocused the resort’s advertising campaign on social media and specialized web-sites, having filled them with news materials, information about discounts and about entertainment to the maximum extent possible,’ he said.
‘Besides, in accordance with the recommendations of guests who spoke of the need to create additional pistes for beginners, we will arrange a green zone in the tourist village of Lunnaya Polyana by the new winter season. Guests of the resorts appreciate such prompt feedback by the company management, which allows to achieve their high satisfaction: the resorts’ customer loyalty index is 85.7% for Arkhyz ATRC and 78.2% — for Elbrus ATRC,’ Oleg Gorchev said.
In addition, during the poll, guests of the resorts described the forms of leisure arrangement and recreation facilities, which they would like to see on the sites. They include sauna facilities, nightlife, entertainment and sightseeing programs, cinema, snowboard and freestyle parks, nursery. ‘We have already discussed these suggestions with investors of Arkhyz ATRC at the latest Council of Residents, and we plan to convey them to the representatives of the tourist business, working in the Elbrus region, in the regular course of business’, the head of JSC NCR concluded.
The marketing research was held by GEPITsentr-2 LLC by order of Joint-Stock Company Northern Caucasus Resorts among 800 respondents, 15 to 60 years old, in February and March 2017 at Arkhyz ATRC and Elbrus ATRC using the methods of individual interviews and face-to-face questioning.