OREANDA-NEWS. It became known about the massive reluctance of foreign travelers to go on vacation to Russia due to the coronavirus pandemic. The head of Rostourism Zarina Doguzova announced the reduction of foreign tourist flow to the country, TASS reports.

“The fall of inbound tourism this year, according to preliminary data, will be 90 percent compared to 2019. Let me remind you that before the pandemic, foreign tourists spent about $ 11.5 billion (839.5 billion rubles) in Russia, ”the expert said.

According to her, the main reason for the slow recovery of tourism is that not a single mass inbound destination has fully opened up to travelers due to the spread of COVID-19. In addition, the issue of mutual recognition of certificates has not yet been resolved.

Since November 28, Russia has indefinitely restricted the entry of citizens from a number of African countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia, due to a new strain of coronavirus. It is noted that entry will also be restricted for residents of Hong Kong, Mozambique, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and foreigners who have been in these countries over the past 10 days.