Crimea assures safety to Indian tourists

Mumbai, Sep 4: In the wake of recent disturbances, Crimean authorities have assured Indian tourists that the country is a "safe travel destination" and said "all is well" in the region.

"I want to assure tourists from India that Crimea is a safe travel destination," Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Valeryevich Aksyonov, said.

Crimea has been under Russian control since 2014.

"We welcome guests. Especially as Russia and India have long-term friendly relations," a statement quoting Aksyonov, issued here, said.

According to the Russian Federal Security Service, armed clashes took place in northern Crimea last month involving a group that had allegedly came from Ukrainian territory to commit acts of terrorism in public places and thus disrupt the tourist season on the peninsula.

"In the last two years, many politicians, business representatives and tourists from countries like France, Italy, Germany, USA, Japan, China, Israel, Poland and Jordan visited Crimea," he said.

"The inflow of tourists to Crimea has increased. Crimea remains one of the most popular holiday destinations for those from Russia and outside," Aksyonov said.

The Kerch Sea Ferry, which connects the mainland of Russia and Crimea, transported about 59,000 passengers in a day, showing Crimea's great demand as a resort destination, he said.

This year, the number of Ukrainian tourists to Crimea rose by 15 per cent, he said.

"We are planning fam (familiarisation) trips for tour operators and media to Crimea to woo tourists," he added.

"We believe that a vacation in the Crimea should be safe, comfortable and interesting and also value for money for the tourists," he said.

PTI