Chinese Tourists Visiting Crimea in Organized Groups - Crimean Lawmaker

Chinese nationals are travelling to Crimea in organized groups, with the first tourists arriving in the peninsula earlier this month, the head of the Crimean parliamentary delegation for tourism said Friday.

SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) – Earlier this week, Russian president’s permanent representative to the Crimean Republic Georgy Muradov said that a delegation of officials and lawmakers from Russia's Crimea would pay an official visit to China on May 16-18 to promote the republic's investment potential.

"The first group of more than 20 people was in Sevastopol on May 9. We already have pre-orders coming in for September," Alexei Chernyak told RIA Novosti.

According to the official, tourists from China are mainly interested in historical and educational routes of the peninsula.

"We shall hold negotiations on forming organized tour groups from China to Crimea as well as to attract Chinese investments to create a network of restaurants specializing in their national cuisine," Chernyak said.

More than 96 percent of the Crimean electorate who voted in the referendum in March 2014 did so in favor of seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia. The West and Kiev did not recognize the results of the referendum, accusing Moscow of annexing the former Ukrainian region.