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Russian tourist inflow to Abkhazia likely to decrease after ammunition depot blast

On August 2, an explosion rocked the Abkhazian Defense Ministry’s ammunition depot, leaving several people dead and up to 60 injured

MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. The August 2 explosions at an ammunition depot in Abkhazia’s Primorskoye settlement, together with some other recent developments, are likely to negatively affect the tourist demand, the Russian Tourism Industry Union (RTIU) said in a statement.

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Two bodies found after ammunition depot blast in Abkhazia

"The tourist demand has only started to grow, when on July 31 news came that a Russian family had been robbed in Abkhazia. And now, explosions at an ammunition depot. Such negative events will surely affect the demand, particularly because Abkhazia is a popular family vacation destination," said RTIU Spokesperson Irina Tyurina.

She also mentioned that on July 11, in the Gudautsky District of Abkhazia, a group of Russia tourists had been assaulted and robbed, one tourist had been killed. According to Tyurina, "after the incident, the sales dropped, while hundreds of people cancelled their trips."

The RTIU says that during the current tourist season, demand for trips to Abkhazia has dropped by 20-30% when compared to 2016.

On Wednesday, an explosion rocked the Abkhazian Defense Ministry’s ammunition depot located in the Primorskoye settlement, Gudautsky District. As a result, up to 60 people were injured, including some Russian tourists. An investigation into the incident has been launched.

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