Copyright tass
MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. European Union countries sustained losses from the decreased tourist flow from Russia two or three years ago, so, today’s ban on issuing new multiple-entry visas to Russian citizens will not tell adversely on their travel industry, a Russian expert told TASS. Earlier in the day, the European Commission announced a complete ban on issuing new multiple-entry visas to Russian citizens. The restrictions will only apply to new applications, while existing multiple-entry visas remain valid "This decision will not affect any country because Europe’s hospitality sector, along with air companies, already sustained the entire losses in 2022-2023. Incomes dropped and they have put up with that," said Oleg Nikolayev, a member of the Business Russia General Council and an expert of the Stopypin Institute of Growth Economy. According to the expert, these steps taken by the European Commission are not about the economy but purely about politics. "As for Russians and the Russian travel sector, the impeded access to Rome’s Colosseum and Spanish beaches is disappointing but not fatal. Domestic tourism statistics is an evidence," he added.
