Business Desk 
Jan 30, 2025
An undated image. — iStock
In a bid to boost tourism stemming from the South Asian region, Russia is reportedly considering granting visa-free entry to Indian tourists travelling in groups.
The Moscow City Tourism Committee and the Indian government are in talks to establish a "group-free visa regime", Business Today reported while citing sources.
As the strength of tourist groups has not been specified, it's crystal clear that a certain number of Indian tourists travelling together will be permitted to enter Russia visa-free.
Moscow City Tourism Committee Chairman Evgeny Kozlov confirmed the development, stating that the committee and India's External Affairs Ministry were deciding to determine the group size valid for visa exemption.
"For a group of tourists to travel to Russia visa-free, the specific number must be specified in the visit document. For instance, in the Chinese protocol, groups need to consist of 10-20 people," Kozlov shared with PTI.
He noted that among the farthest countries abroad for Russia, China is the number one position, followed by India, adding that Indian tourists spend considerable amounts during trips, with an average of $2,000 coming from each Indian tourist per trip.
It was reported that only between January and September 2024, 19.7 million tourists visited Moscow, out of which 61,000 were Indian travellers.
