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- Schengen greetings to all: where are Russian tourists going after mass refusals in Eurovision
Schengen greetings to all: where are Russian tourists going after mass refusals in Eurovision
The losses of Russians due to Schengen visa refusals have reached almost half a billion rubles, but the dry figures of financial losses conceal the process of a deep structural transformation of the entire tourism market of the country. Against the background of increased consular fees and a reduction in the issuance of multiple-entry visas, European destinations are gradually becoming a niche product available only to a narrow circle of organized tourists. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Stricter visa regulations and financial losses for travelers
Starting in 2025, the consular fee to EU countries has increased to €90, and the service fee ranges from €20 to €35. Because of this, the average loss of the applicant upon refusal reached €100-125. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), in 2025, almost 43 thousand people were refused a Schengen visa. This brought the Russians total losses in the form of consular fees in the amount of about 3.6–3.7 million euros and service fees of 0.8–0.9 million euros.
At the same time, the overall bounce rates have been declining for the third year in a row. In 2025, they dropped to 6.3% amid an increase in the total number of applications submitted to 679.4 thousand. This indicates the continued stable demand for European destinations and the successful adaptation of applicants to the complicated procedures.
To understand the scale of the figures, it is worth referring to the general statistics of outbound tourism. According to the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), with the total volume of Russians traveling abroad for tourist purposes amounting to 13.4 million trips, only 618,000 Schengen visas were issued last year. This represents less than 5% of the total volume of foreign tourism, which confirms the niche nature of the destination.
Refusal statistics and geography of visa issuance
According to ATOR, the highest refusal rates were recorded in the consulates of Malta (19.9%), Estonia (18%) and Romania (12%). At the same time, three quarters of all applications from Russians came from the consulates of France, Italy and Spain, which indicates the concentration of demand "in the hands" of a narrow range of countries. At the same time, there is a decrease in the issuance of multiple-entry visas: in 2025, 21.5% fewer people received them than a year earlier, which is due to the recommendations of the European Commission.
Artur Muradian, CEO of Space Travel, notes that last year, EU countries issued about 550,000 Schengen visas to Russians. No more than half of them are tourists, that is, about 250 thousand for the whole of Europe. At the same time, according to him, about the same number of Russians visited the Maldives last year. This clearly demonstrates that Europe has ceased to be a popular destination for domestic travelers, giving way to more affordable resorts.
Changing travel habits and new travel planning scenarios
The habit of buying last-minute tickets and tours to Europe has finally disappeared, giving way to months of planning and complex bureaucracy. Tourists have to strictly adhere to the stated travel plan, since even replacing a hotel can result in visa cancellation and a ban on further entry. The Space Travel company confirms that 11 countries of the Schengen area do not issue tourist visas, and the registration period in loyal countries reaches two months.
Pavel Ageshin, a member of the tourism commission of the Moscow regional branch of Opora Russia, notes that there is no reason to expect a significant simplification of obtaining Schengen visas in the next 1-2 years. Most likely, the current restrictions will remain: a shortage of slots for submitting documents, long application processing times, increased requirements for securities and the continuing risk of rejection. Formally, Europe remains open, but the process is becoming more expensive and less predictable.
Daria Domostroeva, Head of the Public Relations Department at Intourist LLC, also points out the critical shortage of available slots for applying for Schengen visas. Because of this, as well as the prolonged deadlines for reviewing documents, trips to EU countries are no longer considered by Russian citizens as a real option for a vacation, and mass refusals put an end to their dreams of a European vacation.
Despite these difficulties, there is still a demand for certain European destinations. According to ATOR, sales of tours to Europe increased by 10-15% in 2025. Tez Tour's commercial director, Voskan Arzumanov, adds that the number of bookings in Greece increased by about 40%, in Spain by 30%, and in France by 25%. At the same time, tourists are advised to take out travel insurance in order to reduce financial risks.
Redistribution of tourist flows and departure from European destinations
The massive Russian tourist has already "left" Europe, as evidenced by a reduction in the outbound flow to this region by more than 90% compared to the pre-crisis period. According to ATOR, in 2024, up to 0.8 million visits per year were recorded for all purposes, of which organized tourism accounted for 10% at best. Representatives of the tourism industry state that the redistribution is moving towards countries in Africa and Asia with loyal visa policies and direct flights.
The decrease in trips to Europe has not led to a reduction in outbound tourism in general. On the contrary, according to the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the total outbound flow increased by 15.6% last year. There has been a redistribution in favor of those areas that are more accessible and comfortable for citizens today. First of all, this is Turkey, where more than 6 million Russians travel annually, as well as the UAE, Egypt, China, Thailand and Vietnam.
Intourist LLC is confident that the demand for Morocco, Zanzibar, Maldives and Southeast Asian countries will only grow due to the opening of new charter programs. The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry also adds that Vietnam has increased the reception of Russian tourists tenfold and this year may approach the figure of 1 million people. According to the data provided by the rector of the Russian International Academy of Tourism, Evgeny Trofimov, the inbound tourist flow to Russia increased by 30% in January – April, which also indicates a global reorientation of destinations.
The impact of visa restrictions on domestic tourism
Domestic tourism is developing on its own trajectory and is not a direct consequence of visa restrictions in Europe. According to the Russian International Academy of Tourism, in 2025, Russians made 92 million trips across the country, which is 4.1% more than a year earlier. The forecast for 2026 assumes an increase of 3-5% within the framework of the national project "Tourism and Hospitality", and by 2030 the number of trips in Russia should grow to 140 million.
The structure of domestic travel also has its own characteristics. Evgeny Trofimov draws attention to the fact that there are 75-77 million active tourists in the country, which is 40-50% of the population. At the same time, about 40% of those who travel in Russia choose trips within their region in order to save time and money without resorting to complex logistics. As part of the national project, more than 9,000 new hotel rooms have been created, glamping is actively developing, and the authorities are consistently building tourist clusters. Voskan Arzumanov adds that the Krasnodar Territory alone receives more than 18 million tourists, which is several times the volume of Turkey.
However, Intourist LLC notes that the redistribution of tourist flows from the Schengen area will not lead to an increase in domestic tourism. According to Daria Domostroeva, these segments are not interchangeable, and the habit of Russian travelers is shifting towards exotic visa-free resorts.
— Our tourists are rebuilding slowly and still dream of vacations and trips to Europe. Nevertheless, the transition is already underway, which is reflected in the growing interest in visa-free destinations in Southeast Asia, such as China, Vietnam, Maldives, Thailand and others," she concluded.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
