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Crimea awaiting more holidaymakers from Ukraine this year

"The market witnesses re-grouping of travellers’ flows," Speaker of the State Council republican parliament Vladimir Konstantinov said

© Mikhail Pochuev/TASS

YALTA, June 27. /TASS/. A flow of Ukrainian travellers to Crimea is expected to be on the rise this year against the past one, Speaker of the State Council republican parliament Vladimir Konstantinov said on Saturday.

"The market witnesses re-grouping of travellers’ flows," Konstantinov said. "As of now, 70% of tourists in Crimea are Russians. But Ukrainians are coming too. I think far more Ukrainians will come this year against last year. And all the processes in the travel industry are encouraging."

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In his comments on plans for Crimea’s high season, Konstantinov said that the number of Russians willing to visit the Black Sea peninsula exceeds the amount "we can deliver to Crimea [across the Kerch Strait as Crimea is separated from the mainland by sea - eds. TASS]."

"So we forecast good results. And Crimea is quite prepared for this result," he said.

"This season is very particular for us as the republican authorities have done colossal work ahead of it, making preparations and easing access to the peninsula," Crimea’s speaker went on to say. "This year everything will be much better than in the past year. I am sure the services will showcase as well. Also, we have worked to make prices adequate under all the circumstances."

Crimea expects over five million travellers in 2015. As of Saturday, the occupancy rate has reached 50%, with a forecast of 100-percent occupancy for many of the hotels since the end of June, according to Crimea’s Resort and Tourism Minister Sergey Strelbitsky.

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