Russia proposed canceling tourist visas for five countries

Russia has proposed a complete mutual abolition of tourist visas for Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. This was announced by Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov during the session of the Eastern Economic Forum “Inbound tourism: challenges and opportunities in the new reality.”

“We are developing the topic of transition to visa-free travel. The countries we work with include the countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia. We proposed complete abolition of visas to Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. Where an increase in premium class tourists is also possible. Therefore, this interests us,” TASS quotes the minister.

Agreements on group visa-free tourist trips “were recently launched with Iran and China, not everything is working perfectly yet, additional efforts are required, we will discuss all this. We set the same task for India, the Indian side was made such a proposal,” Reshetnikov recalled.

According to a source close to the Russian government, the Russian proposal calls for the abolition of tourist visas for both citizens of these countries and Russian citizens in them. Vedomosti sent a request to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the embassies of the five countries named by Reshetnikov.

For the Russian tourism industry, this decision is of great importance and guarantees serious prospects, says Artur Muradyan, vice-president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. These countries are included in the list of states whose residents can receive Russian electronic visas. But the questionnaire is very formalized and difficult for tourists to fill out. And the removal of the visa barrier could lead to a significant increase in tourist flows during peak summer periods, the expert said.

Muradyan believes that today Russia as a tourist destination is attractive to business representatives from these countries, although, as pre-pandemic data show, the potential of classic recreational tourism is much higher. Muradyan named Moscow and St. Petersburg as the main locations for tourists from the Middle East and Malaysia. He noted that tourist flows to the capital regions contribute to the popularity of cities and regions – “satellites”: Sergiev Posad, Karelia, Peterhof. The priority of the Ministry of Economic Development, according to the expert, should be to stimulate “return tourists” (tourists who will come again after some time), capable of expanding their geography to Baikal, the Far East and Sochi. The latter direction, as Muradyan noted, may be popular due to the presence of ski resorts and gaming areas.