According to the spokesperson for Sputnik travel agency, the number of tourists traveling to Austria on holidays seems to be decreasing.

Tourism Director Marina Bondar says that there was a dramatic increase in people willing to fly to Austria during the winter holiday season, and these tourists did not come across any visa problems. ‘We had no difficulty getting Austrian visas,’ Ms Bondar said.

It has already become known, however, that Austria introduced stricter visa requirements in mid-January, and Russian tour operators now have to produce the originals of their Austrian colleagues’ invitations at the consulate.