Effective November 1, 2026, Montenegro will officially end its visa-free regime for citizens of five countries, including Russia and Belarus. The decree, published in the country’s official gazette, has already entered into force — marking the beginning of the end for one of the last remaining visa-free…
Getting a Greek Schengen visa has become significantly harder in 2026, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). The numbers tell a clear story. Last…
Russian tourists are booking more trips to the United Kingdom this year. According to the Russian tour operators' association (ATOR), bookings have gone up by 10% to 91% compared to last year, depending…
Serbian Minister Nenad Popović confirmed that Russians can still travel to Serbia without a visa. This clears up the doubt that started after June, when there were talks about possibly adding visa rules because of Serbia's EU membership path. The announcement doesn't make the visa rules any easier…
As of July 15, the French visa center in Moscow has stopped accepting applications submitted via notarized power of attorney. Most applicants must now appear in person, even if travel agencies help with paperwork and appointments.
Following Italy’s lead (from May 2026), France now permits…
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot has announced additional regular flights to Turkish resorts from Moscow and six Russian cities to meet high summer demand. From Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, extra services will operate to Bodrum (July 3 – Sept 27, three weekly on Fri-Sun), Dalaman (July 6 – Sept 10, three…
The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Moscow has announced a significant operational shift in its visa application process for Russian nationals. Effective from Monday, 15 June 2026, all applications for entry visas will be accepted directly at the Consular Section of the Embassy in Moscow, as…
In 2025, nearly 43,000 Russian tourists were refused a Schengen visa, according to new data from the European Commission. While the refusal rate has been falling for the third consecutive year, applicants continue to face significant financial losses, mainly due to non-refundable consular and service…
Demand from Russian tourists for trips to Georgia has risen sharply. Some market participants have reported a threefold increase in sales over the past year, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. Travel agencies note that clients predominantly prefer comfortable accommodation in…
Demand for beach holidays in Greece for the summer of 2026 has doubled. Tour operators report that Greece's beach destinations are booking significantly better than last year. The destination is among the top 5 most booked in Europe for the 2026 summer season.
Starting June 1, Italy will introduce a simplified visa application process for Russian citizens, replacing traditional visas with electronic ones. This was announced by Roberto D'Agostino, Honorary Consul of Italy in Yekaterinburg.
According to him, the new format will expedite the process…
Experts from the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI) estimate the number of visa applications submitted by Russians in 2025 at 620 000 – 670 000, and the number of visas issued at 540 000 – 570 000. France, Italy, and Spain remain the leaders in the number of Schengen visas issued to Russians,…
Tourism makes approximately 10% of Greenland's exports, with fisheries accounting for the remaining 90%. Economic diversification has become a key priority for the government, which aims for tourism to account for 40% of exports by 2035.
The last detailed tourism report was published in…
Norwegian low-cost carrier Norwegian will begin operating direct scheduled flights on the Copenhagen-Tbilisi-Copenhagen route starting June 27, 2026, the Union of Georgian Airports announced.
According to the Union, for the first time in history, flights between the capitals of the Kingdom…
The demand for ski tours to Europe in the 2025/2026 season increased by 10-15% compared to the last year, according to major Russian tour operators. Italy, France, Austria and Switzerland are still the leaders in popularity.
The core of demand is formed by proven Alpine resorts: French Courchevel…
In the autumn of 2023, the Finnish government closed its border with Russia due to an influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa. Helsinki blames Moscow for this. Russia denied the accusations and stated that it «has no capacity to prevent third-country nationals from reaching the Finnish…
On November 7, the European Commission (EC) published a decision regarding the visa issuance procedure for Russian citizens. The document, titled «On the establishment of adapted rules for issuing multiple-entry visas to citizens of the Russian Federation residing in Russia and applying for short-term…
On October 12, the Entry/Exit System (EES) officially launched in the European Union. It is designed to register the actual entry and exit of all tourists and short-term visitors who do not hold citizenship of EU countries within the Schengen Area. Upon first crossing the border, travelers will be…
Starting October 6, 2025, Russian citizens will be required to provide biometric data to obtain a Cyprus visa.
This new requirement, announced by the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Moscow, requires the applicant to be present in person when submitting documents. Children under 12 are…
The relative stability of regulations and logistics for flights through third countries led to a 15-20% increase in the number of Russian tourist trips to Europe this summer, according to Artur Muradyan, Vice President of International Tourism at Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) and CEO of tour…
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