Irina Tyurina, briefer of Russia’s Union of Tourist Industry
Photo: Pavel Smertin
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Getting Visa to Britain Isn’t Easy
Though the problems with getting visas to Britain are evident to tourist firms, the link to the recent aggravation of Russia-Britain’s relations couldn’t be clearly spotted.
Although the cases of visa denials became more frequent, it happened even before the current standoff between Russia and Britain, said Irina Tyurina, briefer of Russia’s Union of Tourist Industry. But it isn’t easy to judge whether these facts are directly related to each other, Tyurina told RIA Novosti Friday.
The recently cold relations of Moscow and London plunged into the deep freeze once Britain announced deportation of four diplomats of Russia in response to the Kremlin’s denial to meet formal request for Lugovoy’s extradition. Britain regards former FSB officer Andrey Lugovoy the key suspect in polonium murder of another former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko. In addition to deportation, London halted the visa facilitation talks with Moscow.
Moscow’s response was similar in extent. The Kremlin ordered to expel four diplomats of Britain, stopped providing visas to British officials and banned British trips of Russia’s bureaucrats.
According to Tyurina, the problems with British visas started far back in spring, when the term for their consideration was extended and the number of denials went up.
“The problems with bus groups and excursion tours to Great Britain began even before May holidays. In the end, quite a few tourist firms either minimized their programs for England or closed them completely, as the business became inefficient. The groups weren’t formed, there were too many denials and they were forced to return money to tourists,” Tyurina explained, adding that, in June, the visa problems also hit pensioners, individual tourists and students.
Today’s offer is to learn English in Ireland, Malta and Canada rather than in Britain, Tyurina said.
www.kommersant.com
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