MOSCOW: Russia'stravel industry and ordinary Russians hit out yesterday at a decision by theKremlin to suspend flights to Georgia as a politically motivated move that haslittle to do with safety concerns. President Vladimir Putin signed a decreebanning Russian airlines from flying to pro-Western Georgia from July 8 lateFriday in response to anti-government rallies in the ex-Soviet neighbor. Theprotests were sparked by a parliamentary address in Tbilisi by a Moscowlawmaker earlier this week. The Kremlin said the ban was to "ensureRussia's national security and protect Russian nationals from criminal andother unlawful activities."
Authoritiesrecommended travel companies stop selling holiday packages to Georgia andadvised Russian tourists to return home. Many ordinary Russians bristled at theKremlin's latest initiative, while key players in the industry said they wereblindsided by the move. "Tourism in Georgia is on the rise, and the decisionhas shocked the whole industry," Aleksan Mkrtchyan, head of Pink Elephant,a chain of travel agencies, said in a statement.
Industry losses
The ban duringhigh season is expected to hit the travel industry in both countries hard andbecome a major nuisance for Russian holidaymakers. Russia and Georgia fought abrief but bloody war in 2008 and tensions between the two governments remainhigh. Georgia - known for its picturesque Black Sea resorts, rich nationalcuisine and generous hospitality - has emerged as one of the most populardestinations for Russian tourists over the past few years, with more than 1.3million visiting last year. Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for the RussianTourism Union, refused to say whether the ban was justified, adding she did notcomment on political matters.
But the generalconsensus within the industry was that Georgia was not a dangerous destination,she said. "Georgians have traditionally treated Russians well,"Tyurina said. It was too early to estimate any potential industry lossesstemming from the ban, she said. According to the transportation ministry, theissue was discussed at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimovyesterday. Airline customers were returningtheir tickets "en masse," the ministry said.
"This ban issilly," Margarita Semyonova, a 19-year-old student, who visited Georgialast year, told AFP, suggesting that everyday Russians and the Georgian travelindustry would suffer. "Why are they deciding for us what we cannot eat, wherewe cannot fly, who we cannot be friends with?" Elena Chekalova, aprominent chef and culinary blogger, wrote on Facebook. Yan Nalimov, writing onsocial media, said the "political ambitions of some people are destroyingthe business of those who simply want to work and make money."
Simmeringdiscontent
Moscow hassuspended flights to Georgia before - during a spike in tensions in October2006 and in August 2008 following the outbreak of a five-day war over thebreakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "Putin decided to punishGeorgia because there are street protests there," opposition leader AlexeiNavalny said on Twitter.
"Why isPutin punishing Russians for Georgian protests?" There was no immediatereaction from the Georgian authorities, but a senior government official inTbilisi said the Kremlin ban was politically motivated. "Putin's decisionis of course political and has nothing to do with safety concerns," theofficial told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Historically, Georgia hasbeen one of the Russian tourists' favorite destinations and Putin can't changethis with a stroke of his pen." Georgian airlines were continuing to selltickets to Russia yesterday, but it was not immediately clear whether theywould be affected by the ban at a later stage.
The latestrestrictions are expected to further fuel simmering discontent with Kremlinpolicies. Since 2014, Russians have been chafing under numerous rounds ofWestern sanctions over Moscow's role in Ukraine and other crises, with realincomes falling for the fifth year in a row. During an annual phone-in withRussians this week, Putin dismissed calls to "reconcile" with theWest to alleviate economic hardship, saying Moscow needed to protect itsinterests and "nothing" would change anyway. - AFP