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KIEV, Ukraine — Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia wrested from Ukraine and illegally annexed in 2014, has repeatedly been the target of drone strikes on naval targets, railway lines and oil depots.
Moscow last month accused Kiev of firing British storm shadow missiles at a bridge connecting the 10,000-square-mile landmass to southern Ukraine.
But despite mounting uncertainty – and speculation that Kiev may attempt to retake the peninsula while Ukraine ramps up its counteroffensive – occupation authorities insist there is nothing to worry about.
The summer tourist season has opened.
Russian social media is full of advertisements for cheap holiday packages and rental houses: “For those who dream of the sea!! Crimean Holidays invites you to spend your summer vacation on the beaches of the Sea of Azov!” gushed an announcement. “Extensive beaches, clear sea and developing hospitality infrastructure will not leave you indifferent!”
“The whitest beaches in Crimea!” proclaims another, for a Cuban-style beach bar. “Relax and enjoy your summer in style.”
With miles of coastline, rugged limestone plateaus and rows of poplar trees, Crimea has long been a popular vacation spot for Russian elites and ordinary citizens alike. Since the days of the Tsars, the bathing sanatoriums and resorts popularized by the works of Anton Chekhov and others have provided a break from the hustle and bustle of Moscow and other cities.
But 16 months after Russia invaded Ukraine, war threatens to destroy the tourism on which Crimea depends.
Last summer, the peninsula was rocked by a bombing of an airbase and an explosion that ruptured part of the one bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia. The collapse of the Kakhovka Dam in June could threaten Crimea’s freshwater supply.
Still, the Russian-appointed head of the Moscow-claimed Republic of Crimea exudes calm. There is no land invasion in sight, Sergei Aksyonov told a local TV station, and authorities have received new equipment to detect enemy drones from a longer distance. There are now no problems crossing the Kerch Bridge, he said, and the summer holiday season will go ahead as planned.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea, said the dam collapse will “in no way affect the city’s water supply”.
A Crimea tour guide told the Washington Post that tourists continue to visit and “always” come. “We’re not afraid of anything here,” Moryachok said. “This is the safest place in the country in terms of defense and weapons.”
He made the statement on condition that he be identified only by his social media username for fear of repercussions if he spoke to foreign media.
“This is not propaganda,” he continued. “You wouldn’t ask such questions if you spent a single day in Luhansk, Donetsk and Crimea and talked to local people,” he said, naming regions in eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia since 2014 and in the Have suffered near deed – For years constant violence and insecurity.
However, the data suggests that the official optimism is not working. According to online booking portal Ostrovok.Ru, only 1 percent of Russian hotel bookings were made in Crimea this year, compared to 3 percent last year and 19 percent the year before. Official data shows that 60 percent of Crimea’s tourism businesses lost money last year, with a total loss of $10 million, as tourism revenues fell by about a third.
“There are actually fewer people in Crimea than usual,” said Nikita Krimskiy, a tour guide in Yalta. “Many people were intimidated by military news and various ‘fakes’.” They changed their plans and decided not to go to Crimea this season.” But despite the attacks, he said, summer is “in full swing and the beaches are full of people.
“Our “Guests read and see messages, so our booking department gets a lot of calls with a lot of questions – whether the situation is safe here and so on,” said Anna, a marketing manager who works with hotels and tourism agencies in Crimea. She spoke on condition that she be identified by her first name only, fearing repercussions for talks with foreign media.
She said many visitors were concerned about the recent attacks and have now canceled their summer bookings at the last minute
Since there are no flights to the peninsula, Russian Railways has increased the number of trains to Crimea and installed more car checkpoints on the bridge to reduce waiting times for drivers. For some it still takes two or three days to reach the peninsula from Russia.
Some all-inclusive hotels have reduced their rates by as much as 60 percent. Others have simply chosen not to open this summer.
The government has backed efforts to promote a picture of normalcy, such as a summer camp in the resort town of Yevpatoria for children from Belgorod near Russia’s border with Ukraine, a region that has faced heavy shelling and drone strikes in recent weeks.
Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Union of Tour Operators of Russia, said Crimea could be among the top five holiday destinations for Russians this year.
“Of course, the dynamics will not be the same as in 2021, when Crimea broke its tourism record,” she said in a recent interview with Russian media. “The flow of tourists in 2023 will be around 30 percent lower than in the previous year.”
“But people can get to Crimea,” she continued. “In addition, Crimea is the only region of all Russian regions that compared to last year did not increase prices, but decreased them.”
Anna said a community of loyal visitors will return every year – no matter what.
Elena, a 55-year-old teacher from Moscow, said her family plans to visit every year this summer. On the condition that she be identified by her first name only, she said she loves the peninsula’s nature and comfort. She often travels there on one of the “very comfortable and cheap trains”.
“As for possible problems with food, water and electricity – I’m not worried at all. There were other times and even worse times,” she said. “I was in Crimea in Soviet times and before 2014 and after.”
“Of course the general situation this year is worrying, but there is faith in prudence, in humanity and in God,” she added.
Alyona, a 52-year-old office manager at a real estate company, plans to return with her family for two weeks this summer. A vacation to Crimea, she said, prolongs her for the rest of the year.
“I’m not worried about security issues. I am sure that Crimea is very well protected, nothing could possibly happen there,” she said. “Yes, I am aware that the special military operation is underway and drones are attacking various cities, even Moscow, and there may be water or electricity shortages. But somehow I don’t think anything sinister could happen in Crimea. Everything will be fine!”
Abbakumova reported from Riga, Latvia.
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