SIMFEROPOL, March 4. /TASS/. Crimean sea ports will return to full operation after Western sanctions are lifted, Head of Crimea Sergey Aksenov said in an interview with TASS.

"For now, the loading of the ports is carried out taking into account the fact that we have an inland sea, and all the ships that call at the Crimean ports are already under sanctions, they cannot sail on other routes, therefore, all our communication is a ferry crossing. As a result, the Crimean ports are now not used even at 10% of their capacity. All of this will be more generally usable once all sanctions and prohibitions have been lifted," he said.

Rosmorport owns the Crimean ports. "It is difficult to invest money in repair and development without knowing when the port will commence operations. As a result, no decision has been made as of yet. Nonetheless, Rosmorport preserves and supports its staff," Aksenov stated.

Aksenov added that over the last ten years, Crimean resorts as part of Russia have welcomed more than 60 mln tourists, and hundreds of housing facilities have been built and upgraded. "Over the last ten years, our region has welcomed more than 60 mln tourists, and hundreds of hotels and sanatoriums have been created and upgraded. The current season was difficult, primarily due to logistical constraints. In 2023, 5.2 mln tourists visited Crimea, which is 20% less than in 2022," he said.

He highlighted that as long as air traffic with Crimea remains restricted, there is no purpose in expecting tourist flows to return to prior levels. "We are currently working on creating measures to boost the industry for this year, on mechanisms to load the sanatorium and resort complex, including through new Russian regions and social programs in other regions, as well as additional advantages and deductions," he said.

Speaking about the industry's progress, he added that during the last ten years, more than 70 accommodation facilities have been built, and 568 have been reconstructed. "In the last year alone, 13 new accommodations with about 400 rooms have opened. In general, all investment projects have been maintained - this is 68 project agreements totaling more than 168 bln rubles," Aksenov said.

Despite the industry's challenges, Aksenov identified one of the primary goals as reducing seasonal factors through refurbishing current room stock, constructing new hotel complexes, and developing an all-season tourism infrastructure. "These are spa centers, warm pools, medical facilities, and so on," he added.