Russian tourists are increasingly choosing Latvia.

This is evidenced by the steadily increasing number of visas outstanding for Russians to travel to Latvia. In 2009, almost 20 percent of the total number were tourist visas. This year, their number has already increased to 32 percent. The record was recorded in April, when there was a forty percent increase in the number of visas issued to Russian citizens. This is mainly due to the fact that many Russians prefer to spend the May holidays in Latvia. It should be noted that the number of refusals over the past two years has decreased by half: in 2008, 3 percent of applicants could not get a visa, and in 2010 already 1.5 percent.