OREANDA-NEWS The tourist flow from China to Crimea in 2018 increased twice and a half times, told Deputy Prime Minister of the Crimean government-permanent representative of the Republic of Crimea to the President of Russia Georgy Muradov.

"Of course, we are interested in attracting Chinese tourists and note the growth of tourist flow from China to Crimea. If in 2017 there were 1.7 thousand tourists, this year the number of Chinese tourists exceeded 4 thousand people," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Muradov stressed that these are only the first steps. Positive responses from Chinese tourists, he said, are spreading rapidly in China thanks to social networks. The number of Chinese who want to visit the Crimea is growing, and on the Peninsula there are companies focused on working with the Chinese.

According to the Ambassador, "the Chinese tourist has its own characteristics: he is used to the fact that the conditions of accommodation are met, traditional cuisine is offered, a separate tourist program is developed specifically for his interests, there is no language problem."

To attract Chinese tourists is open in 2018 in Yalta Information and Cultural Center of China, offering, including, and public courses on the Chinese language and culture, added Muradov.

"Chinese tourists are very interested in the goods that are produced in the Crimea: cosmetics, wine. Also, our Chinese partners are interested in recreational tourism, and we are discussing cooperation with them in this area," the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.

The first organized trip to the Crimea of Chinese tourists took place in September 2016. It became possible in accordance with the agreement between Russia and China on visa-free border crossing.

Earlier, the Head of the Crimean Parliament Vladimir Konstantinov said that the Peninsula by the end of 2018 will approach the mark of seven million tourists, which will be a record of the post-Soviet period.