Latvian lawmaker seeks to prohibit tours to Russia, Belarus

(MENAFN) Latvian lawmakers have taken the first step toward banning organized travel to Russia and Belarus, citing potential threats to citizens' safety, health, and even national security. The proposed amendments to the Tourism Law, approved in the first reading on Thursday, would prohibit all Latvian-registered travel agencies from offering tours to either country, according to an official statement.

Despite repeated warnings from Latvia’s State Security Service and Foreign Ministry advising against travel to Russia, nearly 2,000 Latvian residents visited the country each month in 2023. Lawmakers backing the ban argue that Latvians traveling to Russia or Belarus could be targeted for espionage, intelligence operations, or provocations. The measure would be introduced as part of ongoing EU sanctions against Moscow and Minsk.

Critics, however, claim the legislation is unnecessary. Official figures indicate that 90% of those crossing Latvia’s border with Belarus are individual travelers, while no agencies currently organize trips to Russia, and only four offer tours to Belarus.

Right-wing MP Ainars Slesers dismissed the proposal as “nonsense,” arguing that people cannot be restricted from foreign travel. Another MP, Aleksejs Roslikovs, questioned why the ban specifically targeted Russia and Belarus when trips to conflict zones like Israel and Ukraine remain unrestricted.

The conservative National Alliance party has proposed going further by banning all passenger transport to Russia and Belarus, a measure currently under review.

For the travel ban to take effect, the amendments must pass two more parliamentary readings.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Latvia—alongside fellow Baltic states Estonia and Lithuania—has been one of Russia’s harshest critics. Riga has also introduced strict policies against its ethnic Russian population, which makes up approximately 23% of the country’s citizens.

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