Employees of the Institute of Geography are conducting field observations in Crimea in May along the routes of the Great Sevastopol Trail (GST). This work titled "Determining the maximum permissible recreational capacity of tourist facilities when implementing tourism in specially protected natural areas" is performed under a government contract.
The expedition participants were assigned the task of determining the number of tourists visiting the Great Sevastopol Trail (GST) routes during the holiday periods.
The GST route network is a tourism and recreational initiative that has been operational for over a decade. It traverses three ridges of the Crimean Mountains and includes steppe areas as well as the sea coast. The total length of the routes is approximately 250 km, incorporating via ferrata paths that navigate rocky terrains.
The project aims to promote active, year-round tourism within the mountain-forest landscapes of the Crimean Peninsula. The trails pass through the scenic surroundings of Sevastopol, including protected areas such as the state natural landscape reserves of regional significance: Baidarsky, Mys Aya, and Laspi. Besides natural landmarks, the routes also encompass man-made attractions, including defensive structures, monuments representing both ancient and modern culture, temples, monasteries, historic estates, etc.
The expedition team from the Institute of Geography is responsible for working on 16 routes, assessing the condition of the trails, counting tourists, and conducting surveys.
The holidays near Sevastopol were pleasantly sunny but not very hot. Although the sea had not yet warmed up, many residents of Sevastopol, other Crimean settlements, various regions of Russia, and even abroad spent their weekends engaging in active tourism. Walking the trails provides a great boost of energy, physical exercise, and an opportunity to admire stunning landscapes. For INGEO employees, this entails many hours of walking and addressing the expedition’s objectives.