Director of the NGO "Center for Tourism Development" Volodymyr Tsaruk told it to Suspilne Crimea.

“When Crimea was completely under Ukraine's control, according to 2013 statistics, it was the most successful season in Crimea. About 5 million 800 thousand tourists from different countries had a rest in Crimea. They could enter Crimea without any obstacles at the time. Then it was considered that this was a record, very difficult to achieve.Why is Crimea overcrowded even at 6-7 million - because there is not so much room in hotels, sanatoriums, etc.", - he said.

According to the director, in the last years of the occupation in Crimea, only the reconstruction of mini-hotels was made - it did not play a significant role.

“We see Russian tourists on the May holidays, there are more of them than last year, but it is only for one reason - all the borders were closed. And those Russians - about 500 thousand, who have already bought tours to Turkey, had to look for other directions in early April. Other destinations, except for the Emirates, simply do not exist. A stream of Russians who want a quality and inexpensive holiday will go either to Egypt or Turkey. This is obvious. Therefore, this surge will increase the tourist flow by 15-20%, which will be due to the May holidays, but in the general statistics of the year - we can hardly say that there will be even 6 million there", - Tsaruk said.

What is known

• Daily rent in occupied Crimea has increased.
• Occupying chairperson of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov expects 10 million tourists to come to the peninsula this season.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered to increase the tourist potential of occupied Crimea and has extended cashback programs for tourists.