Five countries blocked the EU plan to tighten the process of obtaining Schengen visas for Russians because of the threat to tourism

Greece, Italy, Spain, France, and Hungary blocked the decision of the European Union to restrict the issuance of visas to Russian citizens.

This was reported by the Greek publication Pronews.

According to the publication, the decision to complicate Russians’ entry into the EU “would have catastrophic consequences for tourism in the regions” where tourists from the Russian Federation still arrive, for example, the Ionian Islands. Pronews notes that Russian tourists spend an average of 1,300 euros per day, which is almost twice as much as travelers from other countries.

The publication predicts that in the event of such a ban, not only would tourism be destroyed, but also the Russian community in Greece, since its members would no longer be issued long-term visas. In addition, in such a case Russia would take reciprocal measures against Greeks, leading to an even greater decline in exports.

A week ago, the media wrote that the European Commission is discussing the possibility of introducing additional restrictions on issuing tourist visas to Russians.

At the same time, Germany separately tightened the criteria for issuing national and Schengen visas to Russian citizens, and on September 13 the Spanish Consulate General in Moscow indefinitely suspended the acceptance of visa applications.