10 September 2016, 14:16 GMT
SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) – Tourists from the United Kingdom will travel to Crimea in three organized groups in 2017 despite sanctions imposed by the West, head of the Crimean Parliament's Committee on Health-Resort Complex and Tourism Alexey Chernyak said Thursday.
"Presently, three [UK] tourist groups have already been booked for 2017, which is a breakthrough in the Western tourism in Crimea," Chernyak told RIA Novosti.
He stressed that tourists from the United Kingdom were willing to visit Crimean resorts despite sanctions and geopolitical tensions.
Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014, after an overwhelming majority of voters supported the historic reunification in a referendum. The West stated the vote was illegitimate and accused Russia in fueling the Ukrainian internal conflict, imposing sanctions on Moscow.
However, over 60 delegations from dozens of countries have come to Crimea region this year, defying Western restrictions, including those from France, Italy, and many other nations.
