Authorities in Indonesia's popular holiday island of Bali have asked the central immigration agency to cancel a visa-on-arrival policy for Russian and Ukrainian nationals after tourists were found working illegally. Russian nationals are among the biggest groups of foreign arrivals in Indonesia, according to official tourism data. At least four Russian citizens were deported this month for visa violations and immigration authorities have repeatedly warned foreigners in Bali against working on tourist visas. FILE PHOTO: Tourists enjoy the sunset at Canggu beach in Bali, Indonesia, December 2, 2021. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said on Sunday he has asked the Ministry of Law and Human Rights to tighten visa requirements by cancelling the visa-on-arrival ...
Read MoreTag: Russian Tourists
Thailand is receiving an influx of Russian visitors, with data showing monthly arrivals doubling in November and up nearly seven times than September, far outpacing rises from other countries in the run-up to peak travel season. One of Asia's most popular travel destinations, Thailand is seeing a much-needed tourism boom, with 1.75 million visitors in November, quadruple the number received for the whole of last year when flights and foreign arrivals were limited by the pandemic. Thailand removed the last vestige of its tight COVID-19 entry policies in July to revive its collapsed tourism sector and since September, and arrivals from Russia have grown at a faster rate monthly than any other country, including those rising from low bases, according to official data. Russian touris...
Read MoreFour of the five European Union countries bordering Russia began turning away Russian tourists at midnight on Monday, saying they should not travel while their country is at war with Ukraine. Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania imposed new restrictions as Finland decided to remain open, though it has cut back the number of consular appointments available to Russian travellers seeking visas. The move was the latest in a series of sanctions and other steps taken by the European Union or its member states since Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a "special military operation". The EU has banned all flights from Russia, leaving only rail and road transport links available, and this month it agreed to limit issuing free travel Schengen zone visas. A general view o...
Read MoreArchimandrite Agathonikos bows before the silver-covered icon of the Virgin Mary to offer prayers for an end to the war between “peoples of the same religion” in Ukraine. Until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox faithful visiting Cyprus would come daily to venerate the relic. Tradition dictates it was fashioned by Luke the Evangelist from beeswax and mastic and blessed by the Virgin herself as a true representation of her image. Tourists visit the sea caves during sunset at in southern coastal resort of Ayia Napa in southeast Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) With the war and a European Union ban on Russian flights, the estimated 800,000 Russian and Ukrainian vacationers that head to Cy...
Read MoreLike many Russians, Andrei had planned to spend his summer holiday on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. But this July, he, his wife and their two children will be in Russia's Black Sea resort of Anapa, hoping to avoid the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine. Tours to Turkey, one of Russia's top foreign holiday destinations, jumped in price after Russia sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, triggering Western sanctions that have complicated everyday life for ordinary Russians. MasterCard and Visa credit cards issued in Russia stopped working abroad, while the number of flights from Russia shrank because Russian airlines' leasing contracts were terminated and airspace was closed to Russian planes. FILE PHOTO: A tourist admires the view while standing on the Ai-Petri peak near Yalta...
Read MoreWith the EU banning Russian aircraft from operating in its airspace due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these nations are likely to receive very few Russian tourists this summer says GlobalData. According to the leading data and analytics company, Russia was the fifth ranked country globally in terms of international departures in 2021, with 13.7 million. According to GlobalData, in 2021, almost 20% of all outbound and domestic trips in Russia occurred in the months of June and July. Additionally, travelers from Russia spent a total of $22.5 billion in 2021, which put it in the top 10 source markets globally for total outbound tourist expenditure. Russian Tourists walk at the beach in Phuket, Thailand March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Jorge Silva Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst...
Read MoreWhen planeloads of Russian tourists left Cuba this week, their vacations interrupted by war in Ukraine, it marked a sad day in the resort town of Varadero, a visible sign the conflict will rattle the island nation's fragile economy. Varadero, a finger of white sand extending out into the blue Caribbean sea, has long been a magnet for Russians fleeing the northern winter. In 2021, with much of the world hunkered down amid the coronavirus pandemic, visitors from Russia soared to 40% of total arrivals in Cuba, according to government figures. Tourists sunbathe at the beach in Varadero, Cuba, March 7, 2022. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli Varadero's beaches, usually teeming with tourists at this time of year, are suddenly quiet, said Yanet Costafreda, who sells trinkets to tourists along...
Read MoreWhen Russian tourist Konstantin Ivanov tried to draw money from his home bank account at a cash machine on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, the transaction was blocked. Unprecedented sanctions against Russia's banks over its invasion of Ukraine are taking a toll on its citizens overseas, who have been left scrambling to find cash or turn to crypto transactions to get by. Visitors are seen inside a cafe frequently visited by the Russians in Badung regency, Bali, Indonesia, March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Sultan Anshori "This has created a huge problem for us. We have been left completely stripped of our finances - its like they have been completely frozen and we cannot use them at all over here,” said Ivanov, 27, adding that he might have to look for a job in Indonesia. The Russian...
Read MoreThousands of tourists from Russia are currently stranded in Thailand, officials said on Tuesday, as unprecedented Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine put a squeeze on Russians struggling to find flights and finances. Flight cancellations, a rouble currency in free-fall and payment problems from Russian banks being cut off from the global SWIFT system has left more than 7,000 Russians in limbo in locations like Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Krabi, Thailand's tourism authority chief said. Russian tourists sit at the beach in Phuket, Thailand March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Jorge Silva "We have to be good hosts and take care of everybody," Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters. "There are still Russian tourists on their way here," he added. Russia's embassy in Bangkok did not imme...
Read MoreTurkey to further ease coronavirus restrictions from July Thousands of Russian tourists began arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, boosting hopes for its tourism sector after a two-month suspension in flights imposed by Moscow due to concerns about a surge in COVID-19 cases in April. Turkey's tourism prospects have been revived by a sharp fall in daily coronavirus cases to around 5,000 from a peak of more than 60,000 two months ago, as well as an acceleration in vaccinations to more than 1 million a day. FILE PHOTO: Russian tourists pause as they visit Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii or Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Istanbul, Turkey January 29, 2021. REUTERS/Murad Sezer Turkey will further relax restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-...
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