The new sanctions package, the 19th in a row, adopted by the European Council also includes a ban on organizing tours to Russia. The new sanctions have already been published in the EU Official Journal.
Today’s measures also prohibit European operators from providing services directly related to tourism activities in Russia. Travel agencies will not be allowed to organize either group or individual trips to Putin’s homeland.
The ban also applies to tour guides.
Brussels also prohibits advertising such tours.
The tours were not stopped in some countries since the beginning of the war, but the new sanctions affected them in their third year. Many Europeans also travel individually, and because of the bans on Russian civil aviation, which were among the first restrictions imposed by the EU since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our compatriots, as well as travel agencies, use routes through Turkey, from where they fly to the Russian capital.
The flow of Russian tourists has been redirected in large volumes to Turkish resorts.
The EU’s decision now aims to “reduce the country’s revenues and prevent unnecessary travel to it, especially given the increased risk of arbitrary detention of EU citizens.”
The new sanctions package includes extensive groups of measures in various areas, and in addition to the economy, finance and energy, it also includes a ban on Russian diplomats from entering the EU. They must notify in advance if they are traveling to Schengen countries. Commercial services in the space sector related to the Russian government are also prohibited.
All EU countries have approved the 19th package of sanctions against Russia over Moscow’s war against Ukraine, the Danish rotating presidency of the European Union announced yesterday.
Illustrative Photo by Paolo Boaretto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-walking-near-winter-palace-15820706/
