Despite the occupation authorities' statements about the "growth of tourist traffic," the real situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea looks much more complicated. Against the backdrop of regular explosions and air defense operations, as well as strikes on military facilities, the safety of tourists remains in question.
According to Suspilne Krym, Russian media are actively promoting the idea of a successful holiday season. It is claimed that up to half of the rooms have already been booked, and the peninsula itself is allegedly among the top domestic tourism destinations in Russia. At the same time, the explosions and attacks in Crimea are not mentioned.
The situation in the Russian city of Tuapse, located about 400 kilometers from the Crimean coast, is illustrative. It is the third time that an oil depot has caught fire after drone attacks, as reported by local residents.
Military expert Oleksiy Hetman emphasizes that the attacks on military facilities on the peninsula will continue and may even intensify. According to him, radar stations and other facilities used by the Russian army will remain under attack.
The journalists also conducted an experiment by contacting Crimean hotels pretending to be tourists. In response, they received assurances that the situation was "calm and quiet," despite the regular explosions heard on the southern coast.
Tourism expert Serhiy Vikarchuk believes that the statements of the occupation authorities are not true. According to him, the statistics of tourists is artificially inflated, and the prices for vacations in Crimea already exceed the cost of popular foreign destinations such as Turkey or Egypt.
In addition, the situation is complicated by the state of the infrastructure. Defensive structures are being built on the beaches, prolonged repairs of the embankments in Koktebel and Feodosia are underway, and some areas are actually closed or restricted to visitors.
Experts predict that the tourist season on the peninsula will take place, but it will be weak, with logistical and security problems. At the same time, some of the "tourists" may be military personnel, who will be taken into account in the general statistics.
Андрій Колісніченко