The end of the beach season at Russian resorts is not far off and the traditional time for sightseeing tours is coming. September and October in Crimea are ideal for this: the weather pleases with warmth, nature − with beauty, and the tourist attractions − with accessibility.
Taking into account the popularity of the peninsula in the 2020 velvet season, we decided to find out how active the tourists are today and what the excursion top looks like this autumn.
Demand for Crimea
Director of the Tour Operator SNP-Crimea company, a guide Ivan Kovalenko notes that in the velvet season excursion tourism traditionally prevails over beach tourism. And although the weather is still hot as in summer and the sea is warm, the demand for cultural and educational tours is growing rapidly.
"This season, when we had a lot of people in the summer, and now, the excursion component prevails. Judging, for example, by our firm, the number of people arriving this autumn is much higher than in previous years, and even more than in the summer. The autumn season is no worse than August, − says Ivan Kovalenko. − Tourists actively book both individual and group excursions. Based on the tour applications received, we predict that by October 15 there will be an active phase of the excursion season in Crimea".
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Ecotourism has become one of the main trends this year. In particular demand, according to Kovalenko, are the routes in mountain-forest areas, reserves, as well as recreation at eco-camps. "The choice in favor of eco-routes and eco-recreation centers is a trend of this autumn. Also, now there are queues to our famous palaces and memorial places in Sevastopol", — he added.
Keep abreast of patriotism
Crimean Hero cities, as well as excursions to places of military glory of the peninsula in the Year of Memory and Glory are in demand more than ever, emphasizes the guide of the Tavrika excursion and methodological center Yevgeny Bondarenko.
"Patriotic memorial places are especially popular today, for example, in Sevastopol. Many guests are determined to visit places associated with the events of the Great Patriotic War − several excursion buses go there every day. Tourists are very interested in the Storming Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944 diorama, the Eternal Flame, located in the same place − a symbol of memory of the soldiers-liberators of Sevastopol. Sea excursions to Cape Fiolent, St. George Monastery, Yashmoviy beach, are also in demand", — Bondarenko said.
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The Livadia Palace − residence of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, a sightseeing tour of Yalta, walking tours along the South Coast with a mandatory view of the Swallow's Nest Castle and the cable car to Ai-Petri − are in traditional demand this autumn.
"Now Crimea is in great demand among tourists, there are many who have come here for the first time, — the expert says. − People deliberately choose excursions and purposefully go to certain places. They look at the beauty of our peninsula with pleasure, absorb its history and enjoy. The time has come for calm and intellectual tourism".
