MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. A complete ban on issuing Schengen visas to Russian tourists in the near future is unlikely, as a number of European Union countries oppose such a measure, CEO of VCP Travel and an expert with the Russian Union of Travel Industry Mikhail Abasov told TASS.
"Despite the high-profile statements made by certain European politicians, a complete ban on issuing tourist visas to Russians in the near term appears unlikely. Such a measure is opposed by the countries that traditionally issue the largest number of visas to Russian citizens - France, Italy, Spain, and Greece. For these countries, tourist flows from Russia, although reduced, remain significant, and a complete ban would mean a sharp deterioration in relations as well as additional economic losses for their own tourism sectors," he said.
This is why EU countries are not imposing a direct ban on visa issuance but are instead gradually tightening administrative procedures by extending processing times, conducting more thorough document checks and, in some cases, closing or reducing the operations of visa centers. These measures make it possible to reduce the number of visas issued without adopting politically sensitive decisions at the level of the entire European Union, the expert explained.
