Rostourism Asks Russians to Postpone Domestic Tourism Plans Amid Coronavirus Spread

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2020) Russia's Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism) asked the Russian citizens on Friday to shelve their plans for domestic tourism amid the spread of COVID-19 virus in the country, according to a statement posted on the agency's website.

"The Federal Tourism Agency recommends that tourists planning a trip in Russia consider options for delaying travel until the epidemiological situation in the country normalizes," the agency said.

Rostourism also recommended that tour operators realizing a tourist product in Russia, as well as hotels and other accommodation facilities, should assist tourists in postponing travel dates and find other solutions that take into account the mutual interests of both sides as much as possible.

"I am asking our citizens to take the restrictions seriously - this is done for our common safety. I also ask all tourists to temporarily refrain from traveling and to postpone their holidays to a later time. I ask tour operators and hotels to provide maximum assistance in reschedule the trip, if possible, without changing the conditions of the vacations," Rostourism director Zarina Doguzova said as quoted by the statement.

"I very much hope that the measures taken by our country will allow the Russians to travel freely this summer," she added.