EUROPE MAY BECOME ACCESSIBLE FOR RUSSIAN TOURISTS IN SUMMER 2021

According to Interfax, referring to the words of the head of RUTI Andrei Ignatiev, there is a “hope” about the start of issuing Schengen visas. It was noted that there is no official information on this yet, and the outcome largely depends on medical factors, however, there is a possibility that Europe will open its borders to Russians in the summer of 2021.

Ignatiev stressed that some countries of the European Union are already ready to receive Russians.

Greece, for example, expresses a great desire to attract Russian tourists. But since Greece is part of the Schengen zone, Russians can potentially get to other countries through it, which is unacceptable for the EU. Ignatiev also recalled that the final decision will depend not only on the situation with the coronavirus, but also on aggravated political factors.

The head of the RUTI added that the Russian Federation opens borders with other countries on a reciprocal basis. At the moment, Russians can travel to 15 countries as tourists, while flights are open with more than 20 countries.