You're reading: Crimean Tourism Minister: Crimea expects to host 6 million tourists this summer

It is expected that this summer Crimea will host about six million tourists, which is 5% more than last year, Crimean Resorts and Tourism Minister Heorhiy Psariov has forecasted.

"We realize that it is impossible to develop resorts without investments," he said and added that the Crimean government is taking a number of measures to do this. In particular, it has auctioned several land plots, he said.

It is also working on ecological development, in particular, a program for ecological security in Crimea has been drafted and is due to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine soon.

In addition, transport communications are being improved. In particular, a charter train between Moscow and Yevpatoria is to be launched, shortening the travel time between the two cities by six hours. In addition, Simferopol airport is being modernized and a suburban railway station is being constructed.

Psariov said that this year some Hr 1.5 billion would be invested in hotel development, which is 40% higher than in 2010. According to him, today there are 656 resorts and health improvement establishments, over 2,000 hotels and motels, 232 tour operators, six water parks, 74 spa resorts and 446 beaches in Crimea. In addition, Crimea has 11,500 historical, cultural and architectural sites.

More than 100 festivals are to be held in Crimea this summer, including a cinema festival in Yalta, the New Wave song festival at the Artek International Children’s Center and a Crimean music festival. In addition, on June 2-4 the first of twelve rounds of an international motor race will be held in Yalta. According to Psariov, it is expected that more than 300,000 tourists will attend this event.