With relaxed visa regime, 350.000 more Russian tourists expected in Turkey

Following the news that Turkish and Russian nationals will be able to travel visa-free to each other's countries starting next month, expectations of more tourists coming to Turkey from Russia are high. Tourist Hotels and Investors Association (TUROB) head Timur Bayindir and Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TURSAB) head Basaran Ulusoy said they expect 3.5 million Russian tourists to vacation in Turkey this year, up from last year's more than 3.1 million, because as of April 17, Russians will no longer need a visa to enter Turkey. The two nations agreed to remove visa requirements for each other's citizens during Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's visit to Turkey last year. Last week, visiting Moscow, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed with Medvedev to launch the new visa regime.