After the Crimea referendum, Russia-backed rebels in the east began pushing to separate from the federal government, launching a war that led to a crisis that has cost thousands of lives. The US and EU have squared up against Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russian military support for the rebels, levying economic sanctions against Russia in response. More than three years later, Russia still has total control of Crimea.

Prior to the Russian occupation, Ukrainians did form roughly 67% of Crimea's tourism industry. Now, not so much.

In the years after the invasion, the number of Ukrainians visiting has plummeted — although reliable data on exact figures is hard to come by. Meanwhile, even the number of Russians visiting the Crimea could go down as much as 15–25%, according to some tourism websites.

And internationally, most Western nations — including the US and major European countries — warn their citizens against all but essential travel to the region.

The local economy was damaged by the occupation, and although Russia promised in 2016 to invest 680 billion roubles (roughly $13 billion) into the region by 2020, many businesses who relied on tourism are struggling. The gaudy centerpiece of Russian funding is a bridge linking mainland Russia with Crimea. It's not finished yet.

Finally, the tweets link to a tourism website (available in Russian, English, and Chinese) that lists a whole load of activities you can try while you're out there. There's also an extensive FAQ section, mostly dealing with how to transfer money — but also about whether or not it's illegal to take photos of wild animals.

Russia Cut Off The Internet In Crimea