More than 3,000 charter flights will be organized between Russia and Thailand during the coming winter season of 2014–15.
Olga Kovitidi, Crimea’s Member of Federation Council, has held a press-conference in Moscow, where she gave a rundown on the peninsula’s travel season so far.
First visitors are expected to come on Victory Day, which is going to be celebrated on quite a great scale here this year, and then more tourists are expected at the celebration of Navy Day and at various festivals.
Situation is complicated with the Crimean destination. On the one hand, hotels and health resorts of the peninsula are ready for tourists, and Russian tourists themselves are ready and willing to go to Crimea. The only problem – the issue of carriage remains unresolved. Most Russians used to travel to Crimea by train, but now many fear using railroads due to the volatile situation in Ukraine. Russian authorities are hard at work trying to set up some safe and cheap way by which to transport tourists. The success of the tourist season in Crimea hinges on how fast this way will be found. TRN magazine spoke to a number of experts in order to get the full picture.
Its proposals are to be reviewed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. In case they approve the proposals, the latter will take effect next year. Tourist flow is expected to grow 40-60% thanks to the streamlined visa regime for Schengen countries.
TRN magazine sat down with experts to discuss prospects for the destination in case Crimea joins Russia. Mass media reports that the State Duma is planning on reviewing a bill on facilitating the process of joining new subjects to the territory of Russia
The latest developments in the Crimea have had a negative effect on the sales for the destination. Travel companies report that bookings for the local resorts have come to a halt, while a part of the customers opted out of the previously booked tours. Some experts believe that even if the situation in the region stabilizes sometime in the near future, the Crimea will still lose at least 50% of the Russian tourist flow.