Russian travel agents have seen sales of package holidays to Crimea fall by almost a third, new data has revealed.
Sales for trips to Crimea was down 30 percent in June compared to the same time last year, the Russian Travel Industry Union (PCT) reported on Monday.
PCT spokesperson Irina Tyurina said that more Russian holidaymakers were choosing to travel abroad thanks to the growing stability of the ruble. The end of Kremlin sanctions against Turkey — a popular destination among Russian tourists — also affected the domestic travel market, with resorts across Russia's Black Sea coast suffering similar declines, she said.
The number of Russians traveling abroad plummeted in 2015-2016, falling from 17 million to 9 million people annually. The trend sparked a pledge from the Kremlin to boost domestic tourism, although growing prices in Crimea has caused many Russians to holiday elsewhere.
