Press release, 18.03.2016
YABLOKO Chairperson developed the measures on tourism industry support. Tourism may become the locomotive which will steer the Russian economy out of crisis, Emilia Slabunova’s statement says. The document appeared in connection with the proposals expressed by a number of tour operators in an open letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

In the first place, YABLOKO Chairperson proposes to “cancel entry visas for the citizens of the countries which imposed sanctions against Russia on a unilateral basis, without any prior condition, without expecting any conciliatory gestures”. This will give a signal to the political establishment of these countries that Russia is ready for a dialogue and will motivate their citizens to see Russia with their own eyes.

Slabunova also claims that it is necessary to intensify the preparation of documents necessary for the mutual renunciation of “entry visas with the countries which generate the major entry tourist flows”.

Another measure to support tourism will be the abolition of the two-sided visa agreement on the border between Russia and the European Union. Slabunova also proposes to increase the rate of tax return left at the disposal of municipalities. This “will enable the municipalities to develop tourism infrastructure, carry out the restoration of historical and cultural sites, make investments at their sole cost and expense”.

Subsidising of interest rates for credits on capital-intensive designs will help to support tourism in Russia as well.

YABLOKO claims that the tourism potential of the country is checked by a number of factors such as the infrastructure, personnel, marketing, business environment, imperfection of legislation, high corruption costs, high criminalisation rate, fear of strangers.

However, the major factor is the foreign policy of Russia. According to Slabunova, the sanctions imposed against the USA and the EU, suspension of the negotiations on visa-free regime, banning of flights to Egypt and, finally, the chauvinistic hysteria which followed the incident with the Russian SU-24 bomber [downed by Turkey] delivered a blow on tourism industry. The imposing of biometric visas may become another serious ordeal: after an experimental introduction of biometric visas in the UK in 2015 the number of applicants for Russian visas reduced by 90 per cent.

At the same time, the crisis should not become an obstacle to the development of tourism in Russia. It opens the possibilities for the development of the tourism industry in Russia:”the weakening of rouble allows to backtrack tourists from abroad and reset of the industry”.

Emilia Slabunova believes that tourism may become the locomotive which will steer the Russian economy out of crisis, give full play to the private initiative, create new jobs, bring taxes to the budgets of different levels. The development of the inbound tourism may become “a major instrument for the revival of the remote places in Russia – this is the only point of growth, together with domestic tourism, for towns where there is no industrial production”.

YABLOKO has been advocating tourism and travel support for a long time. The party tabled a proposal on streamlining of the visa regime during the parliament hearings at the Sate Duma of the RF in June 2015. Upon the initiative of YABLOKO’s faction, the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia addressed Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev with the proposal on streamlining of the visa regime for foreign citizens who arrive in Karelia for tourism purposes on 20 October, 2015. The list of amendments to the Federal Law on the procedure for exiting and entering the Russian Federation which includes YABLOKO’s proposal was authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.