The Russian government has lengthened a ban on tourists travelling to Turkey until June 21, the Diken news website reported.
The restrictions, which began on April 15, have been extended from June 1, Diken said on Monday, citing a statement by Russia’s coronavirus response centre.
Turkey is calling on Russia to lift the ban, pointing to a sharp reduction in cases of COVID-19 over the past month. The Turkish government hopes that the improving situation will help restore air traffic with Russia, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoğlu said in Athens on Monday.
Turkey is relying on Russian tourists to help kickstart its tourism season – the country provided the most visitors to the country in 2019. Similar bans imposed by European countries including Britain and Germany are leading to doubts about a strong recovery from a slump in tourism revenue during 2020.
Ahval