EASTERN European specialist Regent Holidays fears the doubling of the Russian tourist visas to £20 could cripple the market.
The increase is speculated to be in reciprocation for the price increases made in British visas for Russian citizens. But Regent says it will end up hurting Russian tourism more.
Regent Holidays director Neil Taylor said UKvisitor numbers have dropped from 150,000 to 15,000 over the past decade because of visa price increases and difficulties obtaining them.
The company now sells more breaks to the Ukraine because the visas are free and easy to get.
“They haven’t done themselves any favours on the short-break market,” said a Regent Holidays spokeswoman. “It’s a shame because Moscow, Kiev and St Petersburg are fantastic short-break destinations,” she added.
However, the operator said Russia has always been a niche market and tourists planning long-haul trips will go regardless because they typically plan early and aren’t concerned about the price.