No Russian Holidaymakers in Greece and Bulgaria This Summer
Russian tourists, it seems, will be avoiding beaches in Greece and Bulgaria this year.
Bulgaria Tourism Sector Outraged by Visa Rules for Russians
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Russians are expected to flock to Bulgaria's beaches this summer despite the more complicated and costly visa application process. File Photo
The Bulgarian Tourism Chamber firmly opposes the changes in the requirements to issue visas to Russian citizens, made just before the beginning of the summer season.
The declaration was distributed Friday, stating the changes will have a negative effect on Bulgaria's tourist sector, especially in the light of increased competition on the part of Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia and other countries in the region.
The new requirements include a ban on online applications, increasing the application fee, a more complicated procedure with new forms and the need of 5 copies of all documents. The application center in Moscow is serviced by the Indian VFS Global, which had also increased the application processing fee from EUR 9 to EUR 12.
The new requirements have been announced verbally on April 16 to major Russian travel agents by officials from the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow.
The Chamber is asking the Foreign Ministry to revise their intentions in the heels of the Ministry's spokesperson, Vesela Cherneva, reassuring Bulgarian tour operators on Thursday that the number of Russian visa applicants is growing despite the changes.
25% more Russians have applied for Bulgarian visas since the beginning of the year, compared to the same time in 2009 to equal 16 260 visas issued between January and March.
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