A map was prepared for tourists – Newspaper Kommersant No. 243 (7444) dated 12/29/2022

This week, officials stepped up their efforts to create a special card for foreign tourists based on the Mir payment system as soon as possible. On Monday, Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said that the Tourist Card is needed to increase the flow of foreign tourists to Russia. On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said that the “Tourist Card” may appear in the near future. As planned, such a card allows a non-resident to quickly activate it when entering the country, transfer funds and, leaving, for example, pick them up without conflicting with international law.

However, the idea causes only skepticism among experts. According to representatives of the tourism industry, the inbound organized tourist flow to Russia decreased by more than 90% in 2022 (see “Kommersant” of December 27) and visa facilitation, rather than a special card for tourists, could play a big role in its revival. A foreigner who came to Russia on a tour package or on a business trip can already open a Mir card, including an instant one, in a Russian bank, participants in the payment market emphasize.

Experts are concerned with the question, for whom then is the “Tourist Card” being created. Chinese tourists can easily use a UnionPay card in Russia, tourists from neighboring countries most likely already have a Mir card from a Russian bank. Only pathological optimists can seriously wait in Russia for tourists from unfriendly countries in the current conditions.

But the most important question is how to replenish this “Tourist Card”. And most importantly why? If a brave traveler to our area has cash, then he can perfectly spend it without a card, if he receives money here by transfer without opening an account, then he, again, will have cash, and if he can quickly transfer non-cash money to his account in Russian bank, he will easily turn them into cash.

But let’s say, an extreme option, a tourist is used to doing without cash – the only thing that can prevent him from opening a Mir card today is the inability to issue it right at the airport or train station. Thus, we should not talk about the creation of a special “Tourist Card”, but about the points of issue of “Mir” cards to tourists at railway stations and airports. In this case, the project becomes not only logical, but also quickly and inexpensively implemented. In the meantime, this is reminiscent of the previously announced project to create a special card for Russians going on vacation to Turkey – it seems that both are at the same verbal stage.