By Lev Sergeev and Dmitriy Turlyun
Moscow (Reuters) – wrapped with hot coats and hats, hundreds of people bravely blocked the cold spring weather to create proximity. But they did not come to see a famous personality or private exhibition. What they want is a Japanese visa.
Because most of Europe has banned direct travel with Russia, and Japan is offering free visas, the Russians are looking for a new place of the holiday and the most benefits from the strengthening ruble and rising real wages due to the economic recovery caused by Moscow’s heavy costs.
Japanese Airlines no longer have direct flights with Russia, but the Japanese embassy in Moscow says the number of Russian visitors is increasing as relevant flights are available.
The number of Russian holidays in Japan is expected to double this year in 2024, vice president Dmitry Gorin told Reuters.
“The nearby of the embassy is understanding because the famous Japanese cherry flowers were an attractive place in the spring,” Gorin added.
“The most important thing is that there is no complex formalism of visas and there is an appropriate journey,” he said.
In November, Japan stopped requesting Russian visitors to submit documents to confirm they paid hotels to stay. Gorin said the return ticket, often related to communications, starts at about 40,000 rubles ($477.64), Gorin said.
Reuters spoke to Reuters, while in his ranks to take office at the Japanese embassy in Moscow, he said the simpler visa process had encouraged him to buy tickets.
“We have been trying to go for a long time,” he said. “It’s harder to reach Europe nowadays. It will only take four to five days to pass visas to Japan, so we decided to go.
People who spoke to the embassy at the embassy refused to name their families.
‘St a long dream’
Before Moscow began a conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, millions of Russians traveled to Europe every year.
The flights have become more expensive on the indirect routes because most of the European airspace are closed to Russian holders. The annual number of current visitors, about 300,000 people, are about 90% below the 2019 level.
Russia’s economy has been briefly contracted under the burden of sanctions, but has since resurfaced and consumer demand has risen, including in flights, has participated in severe heating.
But this year, hoping to improve relations between Washington and Moscow in Ukraine, it has only helped the Russians go to Japan and have given other places.
International flights were more likely to travel to countries that have not imposed sanctions on Moscow.
“Strengthening the ruble directly affects the cost of travel and consumer interests in foreign holidays,” said Leobov Voronina, head of international projects at the Slett.RU.
Voroninna said what they plan to do on their trip, tourists can now save between 10% and 30%.
Mixing less exercised and low prices has come to some people at the right time.
“It’s a big dream for me, since childhood,” Nikita said at the embassy. “Now I have the money I have decided to do. In addition, prices have fallen.
One of the obstacles for the Russians is that long, but Anton asked him whether he was worried that the time it might be over to submit his request that day.
($1 = 83.7455 rubles)
(Report of Lev Sergev, Dmitry Turleyn and Anastasia Bakhor;