Classification of accommodation facilities in the Russian Federation: regulatory and legal aspect

Currently, against the background of the steady growth in demand for travel within the territory of the Russian Federation, special attention is paid to the problem of improving the service quality in the hospitality industry. The legal and regulatory framework governing the hotel business in the Russian Federation has recently undergone a significant number of changes. Significant changes have also taken place in classifying hotels and other accommodation facilities. Until 2019, the classification of accommodation facilities in the Russian Federation was voluntary, and only starting from 2019 this procedure became mandatory, and it caused the severity of the problem of improving the regulatory framework. This determines the relevance of the study. The article presents a retrospective analysis of the formation and development of various types of classification systems in the Russian Federation over the past twenty-five years. In the course of the study the authors compare the changes in the regulatory and legal framework governing classification of hotels and other accommodation facilities. It was concluded that, in accordance with the current Hotels Classification Regulation, there is a certain tendency to reduce the requirements for certain hotels services and the level of technical equipment, especially with regard to accommodation facilities of the 4-5 * category. According to the authors of the article, it may negatively affect the quality of the provising hotel services and, as a result, reduce the confidence in the Russian hotel business both on the part of Russian and foreign tourists.