The number of tourists visiting the Chornobyl Exclusive Zone has jumped by almost 75% year-on-year so far in 2019, according to figures released by the state agency responsible for managing the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
During the January-October 2019 period, 107,600 people visited the zone, representing a 74.9% increase on the comparative figure for one year earlier.
The majority of visitors come from EU countries and North America. Britain is in first place with 15,738 tourists, followed by Poland (9378 tourists), Germany (7826 tourists) the US (5580 tourists), and the Czech Republic (4063 tourists).
This surge in visitors is partly attributable to rising international interest thanks to HBO’s award-winning 2019 TV miniseries “Chernobyl”.
Since the series aired in late spring, monthly visitor numbers have grown from 6100 in May to 17,030 in October.
With more and more international visitors looking to visit the site, efforts are underway to improve tourism infrastructure and streamline access procedures by upgrading checkpoints and removing bureaucratic barriers.