What will holiday season in Crimea
Only a few regions on the southern coast of Crimea will be able to earn money during the holiday season. At the same time, the Russian authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that Crimeans are left without the traditional summer job.
"On May 9, there were many guests in the city, but it cannot be said that the sanatoriums experienced a rush of demand, there are no aunts with signs" Shelter by the Sea ", - Natalia Feodosia, who works as a guide in the summer, spent the May weekend at home. The townspeople explain the modest results by the fact that what most tourists visit Eastern Crimea passing, heading to rest on South coast... However, even there, things are not brilliant. "Tourists came in large numbers in May, yes. But less, much less than last year," said Vitaly Malyshev from Yalta. "According to the forecasts of my friends working in travel agencies, tourists should not wait until mid-June."
The popularity of Crimea on the May holidays is considered to be an indicator of the quality of the upcoming holiday season. Having embraced the first wave, the Crimean authorities burst into vigorous statements that millions of guests were waiting, promising to set a record for resort attendance. Ukrainian experts believe that there is no reason for optimism: Crimea is still difficult to get to, and Ukrainians, who have always accounted for the lion's share of tourist traffic, will not go there for reasons of security and patriotism. May affect the holiday season and the initiative of Russian lawmakers, who propose to significantly complicate the delivery of housing.
A big difference
Estimates of the number of tourists visiting the peninsula during the long weekend in May vary widely. The Ministry of Resorts of Crimea reported that there were 161.6 thousand of them, this is 23.3% more than in 2015, plus 250 thousand tourists Rostourism counted in Sevastopol, announcing that the growth was 20%. The department reported that Yalta and Alushta became the most popular resorts of Crimea, they account for about half of the tourist flow.
Former Minister of Resorts and Tourism of the ARC Alexander Liev, based on data from the Association of the Hospitality Industry of Ukraine, gives other figures. Crimea was visited by about 35 thousand tourists, almost all of them are Russians, in best years the peninsula received about 200 thousand people in May. He explains this difference by the fact that Russian statistics are based not on economics, but on politics and propaganda. At the same time, there is no reason not to trust the information received from the Association. “It monitors data from open Russian Internet sources on transport links with Crimea, mainly by air and ferry traffic,” explains Liiev. “Using the methodology of the National Academy of Environmental Protection and Resort Construction, it is possible to determine the share of tourists in the total passenger traffic. We monitor the online booking system. A total of about 73 systems are analyzed. So we see the volume: how many rooms are rented, how many booked, where reservations have already been stopped. We also use data from large tour operators in Crimea. The most objective source for us is direct communication with the owners of accommodation facilities on peninsula, we are monitoring more than a hundred objects. "
Seven million tourists
Recently, the Russian media disseminated information that Russians increasingly prefer Crimea to rest in other regions. Ticket sellers say that due to the rise in price, the demand for Simferopol flights independent travelers decreased by a quarter. Tour operators predict a decrease in demand in organized tourism: Russians will choose Sochi.
The Crimean "authorities" immediately came out with a refutation. Responsible for the tourism sector "Deputy Prime Minister of the Crimean Government" Ruslan Balbek said that these data are unrepresentative and indicate informational stuffing or incompetence. "Speaker of the Crimean Parliament" Vladimir Konstantinov said that Crimea plans to receive up to 7 million tourists this year, breaking the record of recent decades.
Such forecasts cause distrust even among many Crimeans, reminding that a few years ago, when Crimea set records, accepting 6 million people, everything was packed, housing was booked several months in advance. "Now nothing portends a rush of demand," says entrepreneur Yevgeny Volchenko. "The owners of apartments and mini-hotels expect that the season will be at the level of last year. Then they officially announced that 4.5 million people rested in Crimea, those who work in this sphere, it was proposed to boldly divide it by 2. That is, Crimea received 2-2.5 million, this is felt against the background of 2013, when we touched the real 6 million. The occupancy rate of sanatoriums that fell under the state programs was not bad, about 90%. But about a quarter sanatoriums are closed, because someone "squeezed them out", and now does not know what to do with them. In the private sector, the search for clients has reoriented to the Internet. Those who quickly orientated themselves to the Russian market and the Internet get some tenants ".
Crimeans hope that this year will be a little better. The Russians are now cut off from Egypt and Turkey, after the devaluation it is more profitable to spend rubles on holidays than dollars, so the demand for domestic tourism will increase. In addition, seasonal housing in Crimea costs one and a half times cheaper than in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory.
Alexander Liev notes that the tourist season in Sevastopol and Yalta suffered the least from the annexation. These two cities shared the main tourist flow during the May holidays and will share it throughout the year. “The city of Saki should be separately noted, the mud resorts of which were filled. But the specificity of this resort and its medical profile, as well as the small number of beds make this result not very representative,” says the ex-minister. “The tourist flow is far beyond the edge of loss. in Evpatoria and Alushta. The catastrophic situation in the resorts of Kerch, Sudak, Feodosia, Chernomorsky and Razdolnensky districts. It can be predicted that the 2016 season in Crimea will remain at the level of last year, that is, 1.2-1.5 million tourists. All this will be mono-stream from Russia ".
His words indirectly confirm the observations of the owner of the boarding house in Primorsky, Vladimir Yarmolenko, who says that there is little demand for Eastern Crimea, although his rooms cost from 300 rubles. (about 115 UAH) per person.
"Hello to the Crimeans"
The day before tourist season problems for the Crimeans were thrown by Russian lawmakers, who decided to ban accommodation services in apartments. The bill, which the State Duma voted for in the first reading, suggests that if the owner of an apartment wants to provide hotel services, he needs to withdraw it from housing stockregister as an entrepreneur and pay taxes. For Crimeans, this is unacceptable, since many residents of coastal cities rent out their homes for only two or three summer months.
“It is curious that no one speaks out loud about this bill, which was nicknamed“ Hello to the Crimeans, ”many do not know,” Volchenko says. “When you tell your friends about it, the first reaction is:“ Come on! ”, And then they start to be indignant. The ban will affect the whole of Russia, so it is actively discussed on the Internet. They say that the law will kill the whole sector - where to go to watch workers, renting housing, students? "
According to the entrepreneur, there have already been attempts in Crimea to bring the income of the private sector out of the shadow. In 2014, they offered to pay for beds without registering a business, but people did not agree to this, since there were no guarantees that at least someone would come to rest, meanwhile, the payment is collected monthly. The apartment owners agreed with the neighbors: if a check came, the vacationers had to be introduced by the owners' friends or relatives. Last year, they took up mini-hotels, the owners of which, according to officials' estimates, earned from 20 to 50 thousand rubles a day. (from UAH 7.8 thousand to UAH 19.4 thousand). “That is, even the Crimean officials are far from reality, most of them had much less earnings,” Volchenko says.
He believes that the appearance of the bill is "a continuation of the belt-tightening story." Over the year, at least ten new taxes have been introduced in Russia, and yet another initiative of the legislators has become an image of a stormy activity to fill the budget.
According to representatives of the Crimean administration, this year the tourist flow to the peninsula has increased again.
“This year the high holiday season was generally successful. The total number of people rested since the beginning of the year and as of mid-October exceeded five million people, ”the media were officially informed last Friday.
Is it a lot?
No, this is not too much.
On the one hand, this is more than last year and significantly more than a year earlier. Over the entire last year, 4.59 million tourists visited Crimea (which, in turn, is 21% more than in 2014).
There is reason to believe that the final figures for 2016 will be equal to the average "pre-maid" years, when 5.5-6.1 million tourists a year arrived in Crimea. And maybe - if the beginning of winter goes well - and will exceed them.
Which, by the way, is the most curious: a 2.2-fold increase in the tourist flow was recorded even from Ukraine, which is "at war" with us. In total, since the beginning of this year, a little more than 864 thousand citizens of this warlike state have actually rested in Crimea.
This means the following things:
1) The preserved mental health of a fairly decent part of the citizens of Ukraine, which, in fact, at a purely everyday level, ignores the fierce media hatred pouring out of every iron and is "forget-to-forget".
2) The resource for the extensive development of the tourism industry in this Russian region is rapidly depleting. The simple replacement of most tourists from Ukrainian to Russian (before reunification - two-thirds from Ukraine, after reunification - four-fifths from Russia) has already been exhausted.
Now the tourist infrastructure of the peninsula needs to be systematically reformed.
And this is a very difficult task: in the "flagship" in this respect, Sochi, for example, was carried out only at the expense of the Olympic project. And this despite the fact that at that time Sochi and Black sea coast The Caucasus was generally the only Russian "tourist region".
But, unfortunately, we are not looking at a new "Olympic project". Especially in the Crimea.
No, it cannot be said that nothing is being done in this direction. "Embroidered" transport infrastructure, and this is not only about the "Kerch bridge". The airport is expanding, and internal road communications are being improved. They rebuild and new ones are built tourist sites, a key issue for any "tourist region" is being solved with excursion and entertainment facilities.
It's just that what is being done is categorically not enough.
Moreover, we have already talked more than once about the need for a "national project" in the field of the so-called. "Domestic and inbound tourism", of which both Sochi and the Crimea should undoubtedly become a part. But for its implementation, it will be necessary to change the entire structure of the tourism industry, starting with the mentality of people, managers of this industry.
Officials still, by and large, perceive “tourism” exclusively as an “outbound” discipline.
Want a small example?
Now the question of the so-called. "Resort tax on travelers", and at the regional level. This means that this "fee" - yes, a small one - will be levied exclusively on "domestic" and "inbound" tourists. And not with those who prefer the Egyptian Sharm el-Sheikh to Crimea and Sochi. At the same time, purely technically, it is not at all more difficult, as well as directing the proceeds from the hypothetical "exit fee" funds in a targeted manner for development tourist infrastructure their own country.
But such an approach at the system level simply does not occur to these people in fact. And with such a mentality of government officials who do not even think about creating additional advantages for competitors to our own "tourist regions" and objects, tourism as a national project cannot be developed for sure.
On the eve of the tourist season, the Crimean authorities announced that they expect an increase in the number of tourists from Ukraine this year. As you know, in 2014 the flow of tourists from the mainland to the peninsula dropped sharply, and last year Ukrainian vacationers accounted for no more than 10 percent of the total number of holiday-makers. Crimea. The realities have found out whether the forecasts of the Russian-controlled Crimean authorities will come true and whether Ukrainian tourists are really expected on the peninsula.
“We expect that this year we will overcome the 5 percent bar for foreign tourists and 10 percent for Ukrainian tourists,” the Russian Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea made such an optimistic forecast. Georgy Muradovspeaking at the video bridge "Crimea's readiness to receive tourists."
According to him, last year the share of tourists from Ukraine in Crimea was 10%, and in 2016 this figure should be increased. Georgy Muradov said that the Ukrainian authorities prevent tourists from traveling to the peninsula, but the people themselves, he believes, are less and less listening to their political leadership.
If tourists from Ukraine are used to driving, they will still drive
Georgy Muradov
“People are starting to travel across the isthmus with Ukraine, especially from nearby regions. This is a traditional holiday for them. This is the natural course of events, it is impossible to stop the natural course of events. If tourists from Ukraine are accustomed to traveling, they will still go, ”says Georgy Muradov.
Ukrainian border guards note that with the onset of summer, the number of people heading from the mainland to the peninsula has increased. But this does not mean that the predictions of the Crimean authorities controlled by the Kremlin have begun to come true. Indeed, according to the press secretary of the Azov-Black Sea Regional Department of the State Border Service of Ukraine Maxim Soroki, in comparison with the same period last year, the number of Ukrainians entering Crimea has decreased. He added that the flow of people traveling to the peninsula increases on weekends and holidays.
Three reasons for the boycott
As you know, the statistics on tourism in Crimea, which are prepared by the actual authorities of the peninsula, and the estimates of Ukrainian experts differ significantly. So, for example, according to the version russian Ministry resorts and tourism of the Crimea, during the May holidays in the republic more than 160 thousand people rested. And, according to the Association of the Hospitality Industry of Ukraine - only 35 thousand.
The current administration of the peninsula has Napoleonic plans for the season that has already begun in Crimea. Russian-controlled Crimean speaker Vladimir Konstantinov said that this year at least 6.5 million people will come to the republic - more than in "Ukrainian" times.
These statements make the ex-Minister of Resorts and Tourism of the ARC smile Alexandra Lieva... According to his forecasts, a maximum of 1.7 million tourists will visit the peninsula. Moreover, according to him, 99% of them will arrive in Crimea from Russia. And the number of holidaymakers from mainland Ukraine will not exceed 0.6%. According to Alexander Liev, so few tourists from the continent have not visited the peninsula during the entire existence of tourism in the region.
“We conducted polls, and focus groups, and an expert survey on why Ukrainians do not go to Crimea. The first reason they don't travel is for safety. In the tourism sector, safety is one of the main motives. Ukrainians do not feel safe in Crimea, ”the ex-minister said.
The second reason, according to Alexander Liev, is transport. It is incredibly difficult to get from mainland Ukraine to Crimea. As you know, railway and official passenger traffic with the peninsula is prohibited. There are only buses with transfers at the administrative border or their own vehicles, which many again consider unsafe.
“And the third reason, which the Ukrainians also name among the reasons why they will not go to Crimea, is patriotic. It should be noted separately, because it rarely appeared in the preferences of Ukrainians when choosing a resort. They say they are not afraid and can get there with their own car, but they do not want to bring money to the occupation authorities, ”said Alexander Liev.
Is it safe or not?
According to the ex-minister's estimates, last season the share of Ukrainian tourists in Crimea was about 10%. That is, if you believe his forecasts, this year the flow of tourists from mainland Ukraine is expected to drop almost 20 times. The expert explains this by the fact that transport links with the peninsula have deteriorated even more.
Those few Ukrainian tourists who still go to Crimea, according to the ex-minister, will go there for two reasons. First: for some residents of the mainland, travel to the peninsula in summer is a long-term habit, and they have friends or relatives there. And the second: there is a group of people for whom it is vital to visit the Crimean resorts to improve their health.
Last year, only those Ukrainians who had relatives or property or business in Crimea rested in Crimea.
Natalia Prachuk
“They cannot find a replacement for the Crimean health-improving opportunities. These are people suffering from pulmonary diseases who have a need for treatment in Saki sanatoriums, this is the musculoskeletal system. There are practically no substitutes for technologies that are used in Crimean health resorts, ”explained Alexander Liev.
Crimean hotelier from Sudak Natalia Prachuk also believes that this year the tourist flow from mainland Ukraine will be minimal.
“Tourist flow from Ukraine is impossible, because there are all these difficulties with crossing the border, with logistics, which have now arisen. Trains don't run. There are well-established canals and people travel by buses, but we cannot talk about a flow of tourists, ”she said.
Natalia Prachuk also says that last year only those Ukrainians who have relatives or property or business in Crimea vacationed in Crimea. At the same time, the Sudak entrepreneur claims that the Crimeans are ready to receive Ukrainian tourists, and rest on the peninsula is safe for them.
“Political differences exist at the top, among politicians. And here I do not see any disagreements and no special attitude. What difference does it make where this tourist comes from, if he came to rest and paid money, ”the hotelier said.
This point of view is also supported by the coordinator of the Crimean Field Group on Human Rights, which regularly monitors the peninsula. According to her, since the resort sector is in decline, Crimeans welcome any vacationers, including those from mainland Ukraine. The human rights activist claims that even the Ukrainian speech, contrary to stereotypes, will not cause any problems and will not interfere with rest.
However, according to her, there is a risk group among the inhabitants of the mainland, whose representatives are not safe to enter Crimea: these are those who were engaged in any social and political activity, for example, participated in the Euromaidan.
“If they are in the slightest degree public, it becomes dangerous. There are cases of conducting searches of a person who came to visit, there are cases of being stopped by police officers. In addition, we know that accusations of participation in the Maidan in Crimea are very popular. And to be on such an accusation, having come to rest or take a swim, is absolutely worthless for anyone, ”said Alexandra Krylenkova.
Zrada or Peremoga?
Until 2014, according to the then Crimean authorities, the share of Ukrainian tourists was about 80 percent. According to the director of the Center for Tourism Development of Ukraine Vladimir Tsaruk, now the inhabitants of the mainland, who wish to relax by the sea, choose the Odessa and Kherson regions
“Non-beach destinations are, of course, Lviv, Carpathians, Transcarpathia. Further Ternopil region, a very relevant vacation near Kiev, "- he said in a comment for Crimea.Realities.
More than 80 percent of Ukrainian tourists choose domestic destinations, and less than 20 go to foreign resorts. The most popular with them are Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain and Georgia
Vladimir Tsaruk
According to him, more than 80 percent of Ukrainian tourists choose domestic destinations, and less than 20 go to foreign resorts. The most popular among them are Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain and Georgia.
There is no consensus among public and political figures and organizations as to whether Ukrainians should rest in Crimea in the current situation. Some of them believe that it is impossible to go to the Crimean resorts, because in this way the inhabitants of the mainland support Russia, the aggressor state. Public activists in Dnepropetrovsk even invented a special term for this - "tourist separatism" and recently held an action in their city: they disrupted ads advertising vacation in Crimea.
“When people go there for a vacation, they bring money there - right? They themselves sponsor the aggressor country, which annexed part of their country. That is, with our own hands, it turns out, we pay Russia so that in the end it buys weapons and shoots at our people, ”she said in a comment for Crimea.Realities organizer of the action against "tourist separatism" Lyudmila Khapatko.
Some social activists and experts believe that, on the contrary, Ukrainians should rest on the peninsula so that humanitarian ties remain between the inhabitants of the mainland and the peninsula. For example, the ex-minister of resorts and tourism of the ARC, Alexander Liev, believes that tourists who go on vacation to Crimea, thereby support not the aggressor state, but the workers of the travel industry, who were and remain citizens of Ukraine.
“We need not to sever ties with Crimea, we need to strengthen these ties, on the contrary. Including to stimulate the trips of Crimeans to Ukraine, to do everything so that the Crimeans go and know what Ukraine is, and also not to stop the trips of Ukrainians to the Crimea, establishing humanitarian ties, ”said Alexander Liev.
He hopes that such a position will sooner or later become part of the state policy towards Crimea. Campaigning activists against tourist trips the ex-minister considers the peninsula to be "emotional outbursts" that play into the hands not of Ukraine, but of the Russian regime.
My story. It's funny how the Ukrainian media covered the topic. Everyone wrote shocking news about empty beaches.
In this regard, I have a main question. Why did the Ukrainian media wait so long for my posts to make their own shock news on their basis? Why don't they send correspondents to Crimea and conduct online from here with empty beaches, high prices and terrible service? Why is all their news made on the basis of webcams and messages on social networks? In Crimea, I saw many Ukrainians, there were even cars with Ukrainian license plates (not Crimean ones), that is, there are no problems with access. The attitude towards Ukrainians is also normal. I asked many how they treat their former compatriots in Crimea, and no one expressed any particular dislike. The general position is that we love the people, there are no politicians. So the Ukrainian media can safely send their journalists on editorial assignments and work normally. Moreover, the weather is good, the water is warm, the peaches are sweet, and the corn is hot.
The Ukrainian patriot has one more amusement - to enjoy what "Twitter" considers Crimea to be Ukraine. Well, seriously, it's been 2 years since Twitter has shown Crimea as a part of Ukraine. And for two years the entire Ukrainian online elite has been making screenshots, underlining "UKRAINE" in red and savoring these pictures. I was sure that all this topic had already been discussed, laughed and forgotten. But no. Each tweet from Crimea evokes an incredible surge of emotions among Ukrainian patriots.
And the rest? All right! But not in Crimea. While you argue, whose Crimea, the peninsula is bent. Here, as there was an ass under the Ukrainian government, it remained under the Russian. Nothing has changed at all except the flags. How were high prices and a complete lack of service, so they stayed. Yes, now it is not so convenient to get to Crimea, but nothing else has changed. All the same people who live in one day and for several months of the season want to snatch everything from life, so that later they spit on the ceiling all year. All the same crumbling poor infrastructure. In this whole story, I only feel sorry for Crimea, which certainly deserves the best. I rested in the Crimea under the Soviet regime, I rested under the Ukrainian, I rest under the Russian. Crimea is getting worse and worse every year. Many cities, for example Koktebel, are so fucked up that it is not clear how to save them. I would like to evict all people from Crimea, remove all flags and give nature 20 years to clean up everything that a person has done here. The sea and wind will quickly put things in order.
01. It also turned out that the occupancy of the beaches is very important to the people. Disputes go straight to death. Some take out of context a photo with a completely empty beach. Others find some footage where the beaches are full. Immediately there are comparisons with the beaches of Odessa and other Ukrainian cities. I don't really understand the meaning of this ritual. To assess the occupancy rate of beaches, you need to do some kind of comprehensive analysis, look at them in different time and in different places. Here, for example, Sudak. A completely empty beach.
02. And here's a Pike perch at the same time, just in a different place. There are many people. Below I will explain why this happens. In general, of course, there are really few people, but they do exist. 
03. So, in the morning I check out from the hotel "Alye Parusa" in Feodosia. It turned out 18,970 per day. Here my wife went to test the local spa center and did some procedures. The prices, he says, are like in Moscow, but the level of funds that are put on your face is higher. I do not understand the meaning of all these rituals. It seems to me that the beauty industry is some kind of big deception to extract money from gullible women. 
04. Menu of the hotel restaurant. At first these prices seemed high to me, but then I went to the west of Crimea and realized that it was still inexpensive! 
05. I went to see the Golden Beach. I was told that all the people are resting there. 
06. There is no infrastructure, along the road with endless traffic, they build some strange barracks for tourists. 
07. There are no people on the beaches. I walked about 3 kilometers. Don't be confused by the cloudy sky. It was a temporary phenomenon, and after 20 minutes the sun came out. The clock is 11:00, air 28, water 24 ... What could be better for wallowing on the beach? 
08. On the left you can see an empty parking lot near the beaches. On the right there is a traffic jam to Feodosia: a ferry arrived. There are many cars with Moscow license plates. 
09. At 12 o'clock, a few people ran to watch the dolphins. 
10. There are good beaches with umbrellas and sun loungers. But most sunbeds are not even arranged. A bar worker complains that fewer people have come this year than last. Afraid that the next one will be completely empty. "People come only once. They see that they don't come back here, unfortunately, we are not competitive." 
11. The sea is clean, but the bottom is with stones. 
12. For especially important guests on the beach, the area is fenced off with flags! Nicely. 
13. Beach 117 and some kind of self-building right on the shore. In general, this is an unplowed field for bulldozers. A lot needs to be demolished. 
14. Tourists are caught. 
16. There is a lot of work to be done with the roads in Crimea, if, of course, someone wants to make a normal tourist region from Crimea. Now almost all roads pass through cities, all are narrow, they cannot cope with traffic. And when the bridge is completed, everything will stop. At the same time, I have not seen anywhere that a new road is being built or the old one widened. 
17.
18. Garbage is also a problem. The roadsides sometimes look like this. Garbage, apparently, has not been cleaned up for years. 
19. First of all, I go to New World... The road from Sudak is terrible. It has not been repaired for a long time, it is broken and in some places began to collapse. Often the cars cannot part. 
20. Local creativity. 
21. Novy Svet is a small settlement. Famous for champagne, a bunch of attractions and amazing nature. Many Soviet films were filmed here, and now tourists are taken to these places. 
22. Occupancy of beaches - 30 percent, no more. 
23. Everything is very free. 
24. Vacationers 
25. One of best hotels resort - "Vintage". A number starts at 8200, there are also single rooms for 4200. For this money, you can rent a hotel in Turkey, Egypt or Thailand much better. 
26. The hotel has a restaurant "Wine and Fish", considered the best in the village. 
27. Prices. More expensive than in " Scarlet Sails". The kitchen is average. Nothing unusual, but you can eat. I came at 14:00 for lunch. The restaurant was empty. Not at all. Out of several dozen tables, 3 were occupied. 
28. A bill for two for lunch. 
29. Like other resorts of Crimea, the New World was seized by traders. Sometimes it is simply impossible to walk along the embankment. 
30. People like 
31.
32. There is no infrastructure on the beach: no free toilets, no showers. Only old rusty changing cabins. The beaches are dirty - garbage, seaweed, cigarette butts. 
33. Some strange citizen. He was not told that the project with the DPR was canceled? 
34. In Sudak he settled at the Soldaya Hotel. 
35. Externally, the hotel looks good, it is located right under the fortress. 
36. It can be seen that a lot of money was thrown into it: the quality of construction is good, everywhere there is natural stone, tiles, wood. But all this breaks down on the collective farm service. Nobody greets you at check-in. Despite the fact that I was checked in alone, the hotel staff stuck with smartphones. The woman at the reception wanted to let me fill in some registration cards, although she had all my data. The restaurant does not accept cards for payment, food cannot be added to the room, the minibar is empty, etc. 
37. There are almost no vacant rooms in the hotel, according to the administrator.
38. Beautiful 
39. Hotel interiors 
40. For 7,600 rubles I was given a tiny room, where apart from the bed there was nothing at all. There was no table or chair. Usually in resort hotels the rooms are made large, but here the owners decided to squeeze the maximum out of their plot and cut the monastic cells. 
41. But the funniest thing is where the windows go. They do not go out to the sea or even to the garden. They go out to the parking lot! According to the hotel owners, every guest should park their car under the door of the room and look at it! To make it easier to admire your car, they even put two armchairs near the entrance! This is the first time I've seen this. And this is the simplest number for 7200 rubles. Do I want to admire my car outside the window? No, perhaps. 
42. The restaurant in the hotel is expensive. Hot dishes for about 1000 rubles, soups for 300-500. The most amazing thing is that there is no local fish and seafood. Salmon, dorado and other thawed overseas fish - please, but there is nothing local at all. For a bottle of champagne "Novy Svet" they ask 1500 rubles, a salad of tomatoes with onions - 210, Crimean oysters - 450 rubles apiece. Yes, there are oysters, and the price for them is the same everywhere: in Feodosia, in Novy Svet, and now in Sudak, they ask for 450 rubles apiece. Oysters are bred in the sea near the village of Katsiveli, this is next to Simeiz and Alupka. This is the only oyster farm in Russia on the Black Sea. They grow 500 thousand Black Sea oysters a year and up to 100 tons of mussels. Why they are several times more expensive than in France, I do not understand. Oysters, by the way, in Crimea have not yet learned how to serve them correctly. Dinner for two cost 5,000 rubles. 
43. If you go outside the hotel, you can save a lot. For example, beer, or rather a drink they call beer, can be bought in bulk for 70 rubles a liter. 
44. Nearby is a more expensive institution! The same fermented donkey urine for 100 rubles a liter. 
45. In a cafe, for some reason, people are sitting in shorts. Was amazed. In my time, at least a T-shirt was worn when going to lunch. Apparently the cattle were drawn to the Crimea. No culture. 
46. \u200b\u200bAssortment of coastal merchants. 
47. As in Feodosia, militaristic motives have disappeared from T-shirts in Sudak. Putin also does not enjoy success. “We stopped buying with Putin, we can't sell off last year’s stocks,” the seller complains. T-shirts with the national leader hang somewhere in the back of the store. In the foreground, just Crimea. 
48. The Sudak embankment turned out to be much better than in Koktebel. It is wide and clean, almost not even built up. There will be a separate post about Sudak. 
49. Although there are such places. 
50. Poster 
51. What is a 7D cinema? 
52. The beaches in Sudak are also half empty. Despite the fact that the beaches seem to be open, they are separated by rusty fences. What is the sacred meaning of these fences? 
53. Something follows. 
54. The situation on the beaches is the following. The total length of the beach in Sudak is several kilometers. There are beaches that formally belong to sanatoriums, but there are few people there. In the center, where most tourists live, the beaches are packed. 
55. Water - +25! 
56. Everything is gradually falling apart. I have never seen the embankment or pier being repaired anywhere. When the next structure rusts, it is simply covered with a ribbon, and that's it. The sea is gradually destroying traces of human presence. 
57. On the left of the sanatorium. Please note: clean embankment. This is a truly unique phenomenon for Crimea! Usually everything is built up. 
58. Tourists. 
59. And here is the beach, which is located near the main street, where dozens of private hotels are located. There are people here. People here are ready to sit on each other's heads, but they don't want to move 50 meters to the side where there is no one at all. An interesting phenomenon. 
60. Therefore, it turns out so - now empty, now thick. 
61. But in general, without much notice. 
62.
63.
64.
65. But there is no one near. 
66. The sun beds are empty. 
67.
68. There are also beaches to the right of the fortress. Here are the sanatoriums of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is a mountain trail to the beaches. 
I go down to the water and go right. There is a beach on which I swam all my childhood, when I lived in Sudak. I go in, take pictures, when suddenly a deer with golden teeth runs out and happily asks:
Young man, do you have a resort book?
- What? No.
- So, let's get out, quickly, this is a closed beach!
- How is it closed? Is it possible to close the beach?
- You can, this is the beach of the Ministry of Internal Affairs! We have here, perhaps, the threat of a terrorist attack!
- But according to the law ...
- I'm telling you! This is EM-VE-DE beach! You do not understand? Putin closed the police exit from the country, and closed the beach for you. What's incomprehensible here? 
I don't understand how they can close the beach? Is this even legal?
The beach, by the way, is completely empty. Apparently, employees of EM-VE-DE decided not to go to Crimea. 
71. At 16:00 there were only 5 people. 
72. Some buildings of the sanatorium are abandoned and closed. 
73. There are no people on the common beach either. As a child, I was here often and I remember that at this time usually the apple had nowhere to fall. People sat on top of each other. And now it's completely empty. 
74. The Road to the Private Sector 
75. Agitation 
76. Another mystery for me. All over the Crimea they write the hashtag "We Build Bridges". What bridges are they building? I heard that there is only one bridge ... 
Yesterday I already wrote how the interest of Russians in Turkey grew after friendship with her was officially allowed, and tourist destination reopened. There is also "Yandex.Travel" published interesting data. 
I personally take the news about Turkey well. The fewer tourists come to Crimea, the better. To turn Crimea into a normal resort requires competition. Competition with Turkey, competition with Sochi, with Egypt. Only in conditions of fierce competition can we create normal hotels, restaurants and improve service. 
So if nothing is changed in Crimea, soon everything will be the same. And the polite people will leave for Antalya and Kemer. 
Travel guide for holidaymakers with useful tips and current prices
The Crimean peninsula attracts tourists not only with the unique beauty of its nature, but also with its diversity. Here you can find everything your heart desires: sandy beaches, mountain ranges, forests and steppes. On the one hand, it is a lively and noisy place, full of entertainment for every taste, and on the other hand, it is a secluded corner where the "comforts of civilization" touched by man nature. Such a quiet place is located on the west coast of the peninsula.
Tarkhankut - real paradise for romantics and fans of camping and scuba diving. These places are not so popular among tourists, but true connoisseurs of environmentally friendly recreation prefer them to the bustling South Coast.
The Black Sea region is famous among tourists for an inexpensive and very calm place for recreation. If you dream of spending time away from civilization, then this is what you need. Endless steppe, wide sandy beaches, crystal clear sea and unique landscapes will allow you to fully experience all the delights of a "wild" rest and enjoy solitude with nature. And if the unique Tarkhankut landscapes from year to year retain their uniqueness and integrity, the resort itself does not stand still: the infrastructure is actively developing, the choice of available entertainment becomes wider, and leisure time is diverse. Every year the Black Sea region can offer more to its guests, and this does not destroy its features at all, but on the contrary, harmoniously complements the local atmosphere. And if in the previous few years these places were visited by a very rare tourist, then this year life on Tarkhankut is in full swing and in full swing ...
Climate
Thanks to the special geographic location, The Black Sea region has a unique microclimate. The Tarkhankut Peninsula is washed by the sea on three sides, and the sea breezes usually change direction twice a day. That is why the summer heat is much easier and more pleasant to endure here. Due to the lack of industrial facilities, low population density and a small amount of transport, the air on the Tarkhankut peninsula is clean and fresh. It contains a large amount of ions of bromine, iodine, sodium and other substances, which has a beneficial effect on health. The weather is mostly sunny, and rains are rare and short-lived. The sea water quickly warms up to 23-25 \u200b\u200bdegrees, so the swimming season here begins in May, and ends in September, or even later.
Transport
A trip from Simferopol to Chernomorskoye by bus will take three hours (30 minutes of which - parking at the bus station in Evpatoria) - 144 km, ticket - 219 rubles. The first flight from the Kurortnaya bus station (railway station) is at 05:40, the last one at 20:20 with an interval of 40-60 minutes. In addition, you can first get to Evpatoria (1.5 hours, ticket - 120 rubles). The first flight from Kurortnaya to Evpatoria leaves at 05:18, and the last one at 21:35. There are flights Simferopol-Mezhvodnoye at 11:25 and 15:22. From Chernomorskoye to Mezhvodnoye (17 km), Olenevka (23 km), Okunevka (25 km), Gromovo (19 km), buses also run from the bus station, the fare is 22-50 rubles.
And on scenic cape Tarkhankut, located far from civilization, is much more convenient to get there by your own transport, because you will literally have to go to the ends of the earth. You can get to Olenevka, and from there on foot 5 km. It is possible to order a taxi from the Black Sea, the trip will cost 900 rubles. The price of a taxi ride within the village is 100-120 rubles.
Food
There are many cafes and restaurants on the beach and in the center of Chernomorskoe, where you can eat deliciously for little money. The restaurants offer a wide selection of fish and seafood dishes made from pelengas, katran, mullet, mussels and rapanas. Dinner in a restaurant (meat with a side dish and a glass of wine) will cost around 1000 rubles, set meals - 500-700 rubles. A portion of borscht - 50 rubles, chop - 70-80 rubles, pies - 30 rubles, barbecue - 120 rubles / 200 grams, salads - 160-300 rubles / serving. You can have a snack on the go (chebureks, hot dogs) for 60-80 rubles.
There are three markets in the Black Sea, the prices of which may change during the season depending on the influx of tourists: cucumbers - 50-80 rubles, tomatoes - 35-50 rubles, potatoes - 20-30 rubles, eggs - 45-80 rubles , milk - 40-90 rubles, peaches - 80-130 rubles, apricots - 120-160 rubles, cherries - 200-250 rubles, grapes - 120-200 rubles.
The busiest day in the village is Wednesday, because it is on this day that the "gypsy" market works, where a very wide and varied selection of products is presented: fresh fish, sausages and cheeses, vegetables and fruits. Here you can buy all the necessary products for a very affordable pricesthat's why locals and visitors alike often shop here.
Leisure
The view from Cape Tarkhankut will impress any tourist, because it is impossible to take your eyes off it. Yes, along the way, boredom can overcome you, because the endless empty steppe stretches around for many kilometers, but when you reach the coast, you will be struck by the beauty of these places. High steep cliffs, quiet sandy bays and lagoons, romantic grottoes, emerald water, the crystal purity of which any resort will envy - this is an attraction not only of Tarkhankut, but of the entire Crimean peninsula.
The Dzhangul tract is located north of Olenevka and stretches along the coast at a distance of 5 km. Dzhangul is a landslide massif with impressive rock formations and bizarre limestone figures created by weathering and abrasion. This area is a conservation area. The nature here is untouched, and the tract itself resembles a lost world.
The Atlesh nature reserve, located 5 km from Olenevka, stretches for 3 km along the sea coast and is divided into two parts - Bolshoi and Maly Atlesh. Picturesque coastal cliffs, deep grottoes, caves and stone beaches, and in some places beautiful stone arches - all this was created by weathering and sea \u200b\u200bsurf... it beautiful place for windsurfing, kite surfing and, of course, diving, because the rich underwater flora and fauna will not leave anyone indifferent. But besides this, scuba divers are attracted by underwater caves, sunken ships and the only underwater museum in the world "Leader's Alley". At a distance of 100 meters from the coast of the Maliy Atlesh at a depth of 12-14 meters, divers gathered under water a gallery of sculptures, among which you can see busts and monuments of Lenin, Dzerzhinsky, Gorky, Stalin, Beethoven, miniatures Eiffel tower, Tower Bridge. Exhibits for the museum are brought by divers from the territory of the entire former Soviet Union. The Grotto of Neptune, the Bottle and the Alley of Anchors are very popular for diving. Under it is the first underwater drag line - a kind of analogue cable car for divers.
And in the area of \u200b\u200bBolshoy Atlesh at a depth of 25-30 meters, an underwater museum is being created military equipment... It will house planes, cannons, and self-propelled guns from the Great Patriotic War, raised from under the water. One of the first exhibits was the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft, knocked out by the Nazis in 1944.
Atlesh also played a significant role in Soviet cinematographic art, because it was here that episodes for the films "Amphibian Man", "Pirates of the 20th Century", "Taman", "People and Dolphins" were filmed. For Alyosha's guests, fascinating excursions and boat trips along the rocky coast are organized.
And the most romantic place on Tarkhankut can rightfully be considered the Cup of Love - an indoor natural pool with a diameter of 20 meters, built by waves on a rocky shore. The depth in the Chalice reaches 8-9 meters, and at a depth of 4 meters there is a natural underwater tunnel that connects the pool with open sea... There is a legend: if lovers jump into the Chalice of Love, holding hands, and their hands do not open in flight, they will live in love and harmony. And if they open up, then it's too early for the couple to go down the aisle. The only negative is that there are a lot of people who want to plunge into the pool, which violates the atmosphere of privacy. Entrance to the territory of Atlesh from the fishing camp - 20 rubles, excursion by boat along the coast to the Chalice of Love - 300 rubles.
There is also a dolphinarium on Bolshoy Atlesh, where you can not only watch a spectacular show with marine life, but also go diving with dolphins. In July-August, the dolphinarium shows three performances lasting 40 minutes (Monday is a day off): 11:00, 15:00 and 18:00. A ticket for a daytime show costs 600 rubles, children under 5 years old - free. A photo with dolphins on a platform (up to 5 people) and in the water (1 person) costs 500 rubles. on your camera and 600 rubles. Dolphinarium camera, dolphin therapy - 5000 rubles, diving with dolphins - 6000 rubles, swimming with dolphins (three laps on the water) - 3000 rubles. per person, video filming is allowed.
You can admire the inhabitants of the Black Sea, fish of the rivers of Africa and America, turtles and crocodiles, as well as birds and rodents in the aquarium located at the address: Chernomorskoe, st. Pochtovaya, 1B (at the beginning of the city beach). Working hours - from 9:00 to 22:00. Ticket price - 200 rubles / adult, 150 rubles / child.
Many tourists come to west Coast Crimean peninsula only with the aim of visiting local lakes - Karadzhinskoe in Olenevka and mud-salt lake Yarylgach (Sasyk, Karlavskoe) near the village of Mezhvodnoye. These places are famous for their sulphate silt mud, which is curative. They are effective in treating many diseases. The water in the lakes also has healing powers, which contribute to the healing and rejuvenation of the body.
Not far from Olenevka is the Estate of General Popov, which was built simultaneously with Vorontsov Palace... Today the manor is in a restored and rebuilt form on the territory of the "Solnechnaya Dolina" boarding house. Preserved and beautiful parkthat surrounded the building: relief landscape, green spaces, fruit trees and neat flower gardens. The majestic building can still overshadow modern buildings. The uniqueness and beauty of its architecture still attracts tourists vacationing on Tarkhankut.
There are many archaeological and natural monuments... For example, the ancient settlement of Kalos Limen (translated from Greek - "Beautiful harbor") is about 3000 years old. Remains of other ancient settlements have also been preserved here: the Greco-Scythian Belyaus and Kauchuk, on the territory of which a plate with the image of Hercules feasting was discovered several years ago.
And 4 km from the village of Olenevka, on Cape Tarkhankut, there is a powerful lighthouse 42 meters high, built of white Inkerman limestone. For 200 years, the lighthouse has served as a reference point not only for ships, but also for hikers. Due to the good quality of construction, to this day the building required only cosmetic repairs. 142 steps of a cast-iron spiral staircase lead to the tower. You can climb the Tarkhankut lighthouse only with the permission of the administration, but the view from the top is worth any effort.
A place under the sun
In the Black Sea region, there are a large number of hotels, boarding houses, recreation centers, campgrounds, so every tourist can find affordable accommodation. Almost all types of housing are equipped with parking lots, so there is no need to worry about your car. Locals they are also willing to rent housing with garages or spaces for a car.
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City / town |
Apartment / house |
Mini Hotel |
Pension |
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Black Sea |
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Mezhvodnoe |
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Olenevka |
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Okunevka |
Prices in rubles per day (minimum - maximum):
- "bed" in the private sector (up to 1.5 from the sea, shower, washbasin);
Apartment / house (2-3 rooms, air conditioning, all amenities);
Mini-hotel (up to 1 km from the sea, double room);
Boarding house (seashore, room for 2 people, 3 meals a day)
REFERENCE "MK"
Hotline for tourists in Crimea
At the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea, there is a round-the-clock hotline "Polite Crimea": 8-800-100-12-20 . The call to the hotline is free in the Russian Federation!
