Low US, European Visitor Numbers to Russia in Q1 2023, But Interest Persists
Date
4/16/2023 5:53:37 AM
(MENAFN) The Foreign Ministry of Russia recently revealed that only 1,000 travel visas were issued to US citizens in the first three months of this year. Furthermore, there has been a significant decrease in the number of visitors from other European countries, though officials remain optimistic about the level of interest from the continent. Alexey Klimov, the head of the consular department of the Foreign Ministry, explained in an interview with Russia's RIA Novosti news agency that the majority of visas granted to Americans were for family visits or tourism.
The diplomat went on to say that demand for business visas from US citizens was very low, with only a few dozen such documents being issued in the first quarter of 2023. As for Europeans, Klimov stated that the ministry had seen a nearly ten-fold decline in the number of visas issued compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, he also noted that there were still signs of interest from European citizens in both business and tourist trips to Russia.
Despite the decrease in visitor numbers, Russian officials remain optimistic about the country's tourism industry. They have been taking steps to make it easier for foreign visitors to enter the country, including a recent decision to allow more tourists from China to visit visa-free. Russia is also working to develop new tourist destinations and improve infrastructure to attract more visitors. While the pandemic has had a significant impact on the tourism industry worldwide, Russia is hopeful that it will be able to bounce back in the coming years.
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