France may cancel visas for Russians when traveling to overseas territories
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) invited the French Foreign Ministry to consider the abolition of visas for Russian tourists when visiting the overseas territories of France.
ATOR representatives took part in the meeting of the Russian-French working group on tourism within the framework of the Russian-French Council on Economic, Financial, Industrial and Trade Issues. The meeting was organized by Rostourism – from the Russian side, and the Department of International Relations of the Ministry of Crafts, Trade and Tourism of France.
During the meeting, issues relevant for tourism, primarily the issue of issuing visas to both French and Russian tourists, were discussed.
According to the First Vice-President of ATOR Vladimir Kantorovich, the growth of popularity of France, as well as an increase in the flow, would contribute to the abolition of visas, if not to visit the country itself, then at least for overseas territories, since a visit to these islands requires a special, non-Schengen, visa.
“For Russian citizens, its registration takes an indefinite time, since a request for a visa is sent to the authorities of a particular territory every time,” said V. Kantorovich, whose words are cited by ATOR.
To visit any overseas territory, tourists, including French, cross the border and pass passport control, that is, the danger of illegal emigration, which the French may fear, is excluded.
Representatives of the French Foreign Ministry, who participated in the meeting of the Russian-French group, reacted positively to the proposal.
The overseas territories of France include islands in the Caribbean - Martinique, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Guadeloupe, Reunion - in the Indian Ocean, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna in the Pacific Ocean. Each of these islands is attractive for lovers of exotic and the so-called “winter sun”. To date, the flow to overseas territories from Russia is a total of several dozen people.
Source: Interfax