Fuel crisis in Crimea prompts Russian holidaymakers to cancel hotel bookings
Crimea has dropped out of Russia's top 10 most popular tourist destinations as the fuel crisis on the peninsula deepens, prompting holidaymakers to cancel hotel bookings.
Source: Krym.Realii (Crimea.Realities), a Radio Liberty project covering life on the occupied peninsula
Details: The number of hotel bookings between 24 May and 6 June fell by 31% compared to last year, and in the city of Sevastopol, it dropped by 40%, according to data from Travelline, a hotel booking management system.
Kommersant, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet, reported that Crimea has dropped out of Russia's 10 most popular tourist destinations and now accounts for only 1.5% of sales.
The number of cancelled holidays on the peninsula has doubled, and most Russian holidaymakers may switch to Anapa on Russia's Black Sea coast.
Data from OneTwoTrip, an online travel agency, shows that the number of hotel bookings in Russian-occupied Crimea from 1 to 7 June fell threefold compared to last year.
Sergei Romashkin, Vice President of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, said demand for Crimea has been declining since the middle of the week of 1-7 June: sales have fallen by 20% compared to the previous 7 days.
With no regular flights, the main way of getting to Crimea is to drive there. The Russian-appointed ministry of resorts and tourism in the temporarily occupied peninsula estimates that in 2025, 76% of tourists used buses and private cars, while the remaining 24% travelled by train. [The Ministry of Resorts and Tourism in Crimea is the governing body established by the Russian occupation administration to manage tourism, coordinate travel institutions and promote the peninsula as a holiday destination to Russians – ed.]
Quote from the ministry of resorts and tourism: "The free sale of petrol has effectively been banned in Crimea. The limit is 20 litres per vehicle. Fuel is not available everywhere."
More details: The peninsula's Russian-installed authorities are trying to tackle the fuel shortage in various ways. Sevastopol has recently introduced QR codes via Max, the Russian state-backed messaging app, which allow drivers to purchase up to 20 litres of fuel once a week. The codes are being snapped up extremely quickly.
Novaya Kuban, a Russian media outlet, has reported that long queues of cars from Crimea have been forming at petrol stations in the Temryuk district of Russia's Krasnodar Krai amid the fuel shortage.
Residents of the Temryuk district said queues at large petrol stations in the area are almost constant. Drivers are filling up their tanks, with some also filling jerry cans. The authorities are discussing measures to deal with potential speculative schemes.
In addition, some grocery stores in Crimea have notices up about limits on the sale of certain goods "per customer".
Background:
- Fuel sales in Crimea have been completely restricted "for several days". Petrol will still be available using previously purchased ration coupons, but officials will be stationed at every filling station to ensure that no one exceeds the permitted limit.
- The Russian authorities in occupied Crimea have temporarily suspended passenger train services on the peninsula following a drone strike on a diesel locomotive.
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