Five European Union countries have opposed the introduction of new restrictions on the issuance of visas to Russian citizens. This is reported by the publication Pronews.
According to Pronews, Greece, Italy, Spain, France and Hungary opposed the introduction of restrictive measures for Russian citizens.
The publication noted that for the first time since the beginning of the armed conflict in Ukraine, Greece blocked the EU’s decision on rules unfavorable to Russia. Visa restrictions could have a negative impact on the tourist flow to the Greek regions, especially on the Ionian Islands, where Russians continue to relax.
“Along with tourism, the Russian community of Greece will also be destroyed, as they will not receive long-term visas. Russia will take similar measures against the Greeks, which will lead to a further sharp drop in exports,” the publication says.
Countries that have opposed the restrictions are heavily dependent on large numbers of tourists. Russian tourists spend an average of 1,300 euros a day traveling across the EU, while travelers from other countries spend an average of 567 euros, the newspaper writes.
Earlier, Euractiv wrote that some European Union countries are discussing the introduction of stricter restrictions on the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens, and also advocate a complete ban on the entry of Russian tourists into Europe.
