Foreign tourists refuse to travel to Russia because of the "self-isolation regime"

Tour operators are awaiting clarification from the Moscow authorities on the mechanism of "self-isolation" of foreign tourists, as well as on the duration of these restrictions. At the moment, foreign travelers began to refuse to travel to Moscow due to the long quarantine, as Irina Tyurina, spokeswoman for the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RCT) said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on March 5 signed a decree "On the introduction of a high alert mode" in connection with the threat of the spread of coronavirus. Among the measures listed in paragraph 3 of the document, it is proposed to oblige citizens arriving from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Germany and Spain to provide self-isolation at home for a period of 14 days from the day they enter in Russia. The decree applies to both Russian citizens and foreign citizens who arrive in Moscow from regions with an unfavorable epidemiological situation.

"After the introduction of the high-alert mode in Moscow due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, the number of cancellations on trips of foreign tourists to the capital has sharply increased. Some countries, in particular France and Italy, have already recommended their citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia, as they may be in 14-day quarantine, "she said.

Non-compliance with the quarantine is punishable by a fine of up to 967 Euros or imprisonment of up to 5 years, if this violation of sanitary rules leads to death. Compliance with the regime is monitored by video surveillance; in case of violation of the regime, a citizen will be accommodated in the observational center.