Chernobyl control room now open to visitors – but only wearing a hazmat suit

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has seen a huge increase in visitor numbers in recent years as part of a growing global interest in dark tourism.

And now, intrepid travelers be able to get inside the control room where the world’s worst nuclear accident unfolded, Chernobyl tour companies confirmed to CNN.

Those who venture inside the highly radioactive area at the infamous Reactor 4 will be provided with white protective suits, helmets and masks for the brief visits. After leaving, they will be subject to two radiology tests to measure exposure.

The control room of the fourth reactor at the Chernobyl has opened to tours.

The move is part of a government drive to encourage tourism in the area after President Volydymyr Zelensky signed a July decree designating Chernobyl an official tourist attraction.

“We must give this territory of Ukraine a new life,” Zelensky said at the time. “Until now, Chernobyl was a negative part of Ukraine’s brand. It’s time to change it.”

Visitor surge: Tour operators say interest in the Chernobyl power plant has increased since the launch of HBO show "Chernobyl."

TV magic: Stellan Skarsgard, Jared Harris and Emily Watson star in the highly rated HBO series.

Exclusion zone: Travelers can visit an observation point 300 meters away from the New Safe Confinement, which covers the remains of the number four reactor.

Top attraction: Tour company SoloEast has reported a rise of around 35% in the months since the HBO show first aired.

Quick turnaround: "Most of the people say they decided to book after seeing this show," says Victor Korol, director of SoloEast. "It's almost as though they watch it and then jump on a plane over."

Contaminated area: Situated around 110 kilometers north of Kiev, Chernobyl is one of the most polluted places in the world.

Guided trips: The meeting room in the underground shelter of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is also open to visitors.

TV magic: SoloEast has been taking between 100 and 200 visitors to the area on weekend days since "Chernobyl" first screened.

Safety checks: Visitors pass through radiation measuring devices during guided tours around Chernobyl.

Radioactivity detection: "It's absolutely safe," Korol says of safety concerns regarding radiation levels. "The radiation they [visitors] are exposed to on a tour is less than on an intercontinental flight."

A photo tour of the abandoned Chernobyl site

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The makeover will involve developing new tourist routes including waterways, building new checkpoints and restoring and upgrading existing ones.

Zelensky made the announcement at the inauguration of a new metal dome at Chernobyl which will encase the destroyed reactor in order to prevent radioactive material from leaking out.

Weighing in at 36,000 tonnes and measuring 108-metre high, the 1.5 billion euro ($1.7 billion) structure was paid for via a special fund launched by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and sponsored by 45 countries, AFP reported.

The structure is strong enough to withstand a tornado and is built to last a century, the EBRD said.

Chernobyl once sat at the centre of a 1,000-square-mile exclusion zone implemented after the 1986 catastrophe, but much of the area has been open to tourists since 2011.

Some sections, such as the “machine cemetery” of Rossokha village, remain off-limits.

Travel interest in the location of the horrific nuclear explosion has surged dramatically since the launch of HBO series “Chernobyl” in May, according to local tour operators.

The miniseries, starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson, dramatizes the aftermath of the disaster.

CNN’s Lianne Kolirin and Tamara Hardingham-Gill and journalist Denis Lapin contributed to this report.