A third of hotels in Crimea will not open because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Up to a third of hotels and guesthouses in Crimea annexed by Russia may not open in the summer due to a sharp drop in demand not due to the war. Representatives of the tourism industry told "Kommersant" about this, writes svoboda.org.

The head of the local tourist association told the publication that the expected occupancy for the summer is 30-40 percent, while 70-80 percent is considered a good indicator for Crimea. Sales of tours have fallen, according to various estimates, by 50–85 percent year-on-year.

Tourists' fear of war, departure from the market of the largest hotel booking service Booking.com and low transport accessibility of the peninsula could negatively affect sales.

After the start of the war with Ukraine, the Simferopol airport was closed. There are not enough trains there. Railways can transport up to 2,5 million passengers per hour from Russia to Crimea. But the Simferopol airport served up to 7 million people per hour before its closure, the newspaper notes.

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