Russians will be able to obtain visas on arrival to the islands of Greece
The Greek government adopted a simplified visa regime for Russians in 2017. Tourists must arrive by ferry from Turkey to the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea (Rhodes, Kos, Lesbos, etc.). The information was given by Dimitris Haritidis, head of the Greek TEZ Tour, citing a source familiar with the situation.
According to the expert, such excursion trips are unlikely to be massive, so this decision will not have a significant impact on the flow of tourists to Greece from Russia.
It should be noted that the authorities of the resort country allowed our compatriots vacationing in Turkey to come to the islands of the Aegean Sea only if two mandatory conditions are met - the presence of a ferry ticket and reservation in a hotel located on one of the islands. Upon arrival in the passport will be a special visa, the cost of which is 35 euros. At the same time, it does not give the right to visit the mainland of Greece and other Schengen countries. Thus, a certain compromise was found that will make it possible to make an exception to the uniform rules in force in the European Union, market participants explain.
Other representatives of the travel industry agree with the expert in assessing the situation. “This is certainly a positive fact. However, given the conditions of this program, it is not necessary to expect a sharp increase in tourist flow to Greece in this regard. Such tourists, of course, will be, and we are very happy to each guest, but their number will most likely not exceed 2-3 thousand people for the entire season, comments Alexander Tsandekidi, General Director of the tour operator Muzenidis Travel.
The simplified procedure for obtaining visas will be in demand by tourists purchasing sea cruises. “Using this option, you can, for example, spend a weekend on the islands,” says Vitaly Stamatov, CEO of Ambotis Holidays Russia.
Source: tourdom