Up to 6 million tourists are expected to visit Crimea in 2018. This is about 600 thousand more than last year, according to Crimea tourism committee chairman, Alexei Chernyak.
“This year we expect up to 6 million tourists in Crimea. At the moment, we cannot physically receive more than 5.5-6 million tourists, since there are problems with transport. There are not enough flights to Simferopol from other cities of the country. Therefore, the earlier the bridge is opened, the more tourists will come,” the chairman added.
He reminded that a new airport terminal will be opened in Simferopol and at the end of the year an automobile traffic bridge across the Kerch Strait will be inaugurated. According to his forecasts, in the future Crimea tourism companies will be able to provide services to 8 to 10 million tourists per year.
One of the reasons of last year’s 3% fall in inflow may be the high cost of airplane tickets. A summer ticket cost 30 thousand rubles – about 531 USD. Moreover, the opening of Turkey for Russian tourists and cold weather in late spring and early summer on the peninsula also played a role.
The construction of the bridge over the Kerch Strait will be an important factor for the development of Crimea tourism. Experts say that serious growth of the tourist flow will only be possible after the construction of the bridge has been completed.