Visa-free travel set to attract more Russian tourists

Turkey expects to draw as much as 20 percent more Russian tourists this year with the start of a new visa-free travel regime between the two countries, said Cumhur Guven Tasbasi, director of promotion at the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The visa liberalization agreement, signed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Ankara last May, went into effect on April 16. "A nice increase was observed this year," said Tasbasi. "Bookings for the summer season have also risen by 20 percent already."