Russia still encourages tourism in annexed Crimea, despite the risks

In Crimea, the kite coexists with the uniform. The peninsula is a popular tourist destination for Russians, who appreciate the beaches and vineyards of this Ukrainian territory annexed in 2014. Moscow has no intention of curbing the seaside vocation of the place, despite the war and the attacks carried out on the Crimean bridge. Monday, at dawn, a couple of vacationers died in their vehicle while crossing the work, and their 14-year-old daughter was hospitalized. For questions of pride and symbol, however, the population is invited to join, again and again, this pearl of the Black Sea.

In order to unclog the bridge, the Ministry of Transport encourages motorists to favor an elongated route of 400 km, via Mariupol and Berdiansk, in the occupied continental territories. Donetsk region occupation leader Denis Pushilin even temporarily lifted a curfew to allow travelers to drive at night. The Association of Russian Tour Operators (Ator), for its part, expressed some doubts about the length of the journey – eight hours between Rostov-on-Don and the peninsula – and the stability of the mobile Internet. In these territories, insurance does not cover any damage to vehicles, further specifies the site tourdom.ru.

Nearly 10,000 people have joined a dedicated Telegram group to exchange information on the trip, interspersed with military checkpoints. Tourist coaches now have priority for the ferry crossing. Tuesday, the day after the attack, nearly 45 vehicles were able to reach the peninsula, according to Ator. Some tour operators have also planned to pass tourists in cars, thanks to the alternating traffic set up on the road of the bridge which remains operational. Security measures “are continuously improved”due to tourist flows, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Telegram.

From 25,000 to 30,000 tourists cross the Kerch Strait every day, according to Sergueï Romachkine, vice-president of Ator, interviewed by the RTVI channel. A closure of the road bridge would deprive the peninsula of 100,000 visitors each week, according to its calculations, taking into account the passage of ferries and the alternative route. A drop of water, however, compared to the 4 to 5 million people expected despite everything.

“Pressure to amplify tourism”

The flows have nevertheless slowed since the Russian invasion: from 9 million tourists in 2021 to 6.5 million last year, according to the Interfax agency. Some 59% of Russians polled by the Crimean Information Group believed the peninsula to be a relatively safe destination, and 28% said it was as safe as destinations in Russia. Only 10% considered it dangerous, according to results released by Pravda.ru. However, several professionals have reported last-minute cancellations. “We try to convince [les touristes] not to make decisions based on their emotions”said Elena Bajnenova, head of an agency, quoted by the American channel CNN.

“There has been enormous pressure from the Russian authorities to support and even boost tourism in occupied Crimea”, explains Karolina Hird, analyst for the Institute for the Study of War, interviewed by Business Insider. At a time “for economic reasons” And “for integration” of the peninsula “in the wider Russian system”. In March, Russia notably released two billion rubles to pay 30,000 salaries in tourism, during the period from May to August.

A military target of Ukraine, the peninsula is regularly targeted by drones, explosions and various incidents. A fire broke out on military ground on Tuesday, prompting authorities to evacuate more than 2,000 civilians to four nearby villages. In June, Ukraine had already struck a highway bridge in the north of the peninsula, where Russian forces built imposing lines of defense. Last summer, a military airfield was targeted in the village of Novofedorivkaclose to the beach.

If Russia encourages tourism, the influx of visitors has however the disadvantage of causing traffic jams, while the peninsula is an important logistics hub for the troops. Control inspections, put in place after the partial destruction of the bridge in October, considerably lengthened the crossing times. At the beginning of the month, as the cars piled up for several kilometres, the Minister of Transport, Vitaly Savelyev, has also proposed that military ships take charge of motorists, in order to relieve the Crimean bridge.

The presence of these tourists arouses many comments, while the peninsula was annexed in violation of international law, and that it is used to carry out the invasion of Ukraine. “The actions of the Russian authorities to encourage the arrival of holidaymakers in Crimea aim to create a ‘human shield’ of civilians”Russian lawyer Nikolai Polozov writes on Facebook. “All the fault lies with Putin”adds Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian opponent in exile. “He started a war, occupied foreign lands and called on naive parents to go and have fun in an occupied land.”