Some 616,800 tourists have holidayed in Crimea since the beginning of this year, up 22.6 precent from the same period in 2015, the Crimean Ministry of Resorts and Tourism said on Friday.
Nearly a quarter of all tourists visited the region over May holidays, a ministry spokesperson said. Between April 29 and May 12, Crimea welcomed 162,000 holidaymakers, up 23 precent from the year ago.
The most popular types of tourism are sightseeing tours, walking, and outdoor activities for children.
The average occupancy rate for open sanatoria and hotels stood at 32 precent (9.5 precent higher than in 2015).
"The most popular resort areas were Bolshaya Yalta, with 44% of all tourists; Yevpatoria, 25 precent; Alushta, 14 precent; Saki, 8 precent; and the Saduk and Feodosia regions, with 4 precent each," the spokesperson said.
In 2016, the Ministry is expecting 5.5-6 million tourists. In 2015, Crimea welcomed 4.9 million holidaymakers.
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