r/nottheonion • u/Jessicas_skirt • 1d ago
Moscow Says Europe Is ‘Shooting Itself in Foot’ With Russian Tourist Ban
https://easternherald.com/2026/08/30/russia-europe-tourist-flows-schengen-visa-restrictions-moscow/396
u/Meihem76 1d ago
Who else will come to admire the soaring spire of Salisbury Cathedral?
And murder our citizens with nerve agents.
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u/blbd 1d ago
Side note. I really love and appreciate how much retained anger the UK has with Russia over that series of incidents. Rightly deserved, too.
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u/dan_dares 1d ago
Oh, revenge is a dish best served cold.
And that incident might have been 'politely' discontinued in political discussion, but we remember.
It will take a significant development to wipe that off the books, like putin's head, on a pike.
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u/Dapper-Ad9787 1d ago
Could someone please explain the connection between Russian tourists and Salisbury Cathedral?
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u/Redbeard_Rum 1d ago
Here you go - 2 Russian agents who were identified as poisoning a former KGB agent in the UK gave an interview on Russian state tv where they said they were simply tourists who'd gone to visit the "world famous" Salisbury cathedral, specifically mentioning its 123-metre spire as being the reason for their visit.
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u/Wintersage7 1d ago
Whatever will Europe do without all those Russian "tourists"?
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u/Pavlock 1d ago
Worry less about windows.
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u/-Vikthor- 1d ago
But who will admire spires of our cathedrals?
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u/cjacksen 1d ago
Those spires are world renowned!
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u/morbidru 1d ago
OMG, I can't believe that the US Vice President has a Twitter account! Amazing. Have you heard from your ex-girlfriend the couch recently?
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u/Hellstorm901 1d ago
Salisbury breathes a sigh of relief that no more Russian speaking tourists looking for the famous cathederal spire will be visiting
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u/pi_designer 1d ago
I went to Varadero in Cuba a few years ago. Beautiful place but it was spoilt by the Russian tourists. You could not get to the all inclusive bar in the evenings because it was three rows deep with elbows.
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u/Confused-Raccoon 13h ago
I think I saw one the other day on the phone. Dressed as you would expect, which I smiled at.
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u/WhateverSure 1d ago
Russia or not, I don’t think Europe is looking for its tourist hotspots to be even MORE packed, necessarily.
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek 1d ago
Tourists are money. There are only a select few places whose lobster really is too buttery
But there arent many russian tourists and they dont have much money, so i doubt anyone will notice
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u/Pocok5 1d ago
But there arent many russian tourists
and they tend to congregate in a few spots (but completely saturate those). They also have a reputation for being absolute gibbons, even more so than the usual tourist mob.
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u/FinanceGuyHere 23h ago
Where WERE the Russian tourists who are currently missing? I wouldn’t mind taking their slot and hanging out with cool people in a low key setting!
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u/Pocok5 22h ago
Off the top of my head, Karlovy Vary's russian crowd got Thanos snapped. It's a thermal spa town with a famous liquor distillery (Becherovka) you can visit.
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u/QueenAvril 21h ago
Eastern Finland really took a blow. So if you have appreciation for lakeside views and shopping for dairy products, it isn’t crowded in there atm…
Their absence is noticeable in Southwestern archipelago region and Lapland too, but those have fared much better in replacing them with other groups than Eastern side.→ More replies (2)53
u/halpsdiy 1d ago
Also Russian tourists are frequently the worst. If they aren't committing terror attacks with nerve agents in Salisbury they are generally unpleasant: Loud, entitled, rude, and obnoxious.
Any tourist destination banning them will instantly become nicer.
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u/ProkopiyKozlowski 19h ago
What tourists are good? I never hear "oh people from this country make such lovely tourists", it's always negative.
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u/WhateverSure 1d ago
That’s totally fair. Just because I think of the crowds in Paris or Venice doesn’t mean smaller destinations aren’t hurting for tourist cash.
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek 1d ago
Paris isnt on that list. Its a massive city with the infrastructure for it. I was more thinking Amsterdam
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u/MattiasCrowe 1d ago
This won't be grigory from some small home town, most Russian tourism will be the oligarchy, and even they probably have ways round a tourism ban
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u/ThoughtsonYaoi 22h ago
>But there arent many russian tourists and they dont have much money, so i doubt anyone will notice
That's a joke, right?
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek 22h ago
Theres a few hundred sanctioned russian billionaires. Theres very little other money in russia. And most of them when they do travel, vacation in Russia
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u/ThoughtsonYaoi 22h ago
Mmm okay. I kept meeting groups in Alps (some time before 2014) and I'd assumed that was apparently a thing, now, but I'll admit I'm not sure what that means for the rest of tourism
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u/Throwawayiea 1d ago
Is that all that you got for a reply Russia? Your country has a negative 8.5 trillion ruble central bank account and you worry about Europe's tourism dollar losses? Russia is like a guy in a well thinking he has all the power and so he pisses up and gravity shows him reality.
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u/Ravenous_Stream 1d ago
Russia's drenched in piss but still hasn't seen reality yet. Maybe they'll see sense when it rises past their neck.
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u/Throwawayiea 1d ago
don't give them this hope because then they'll just wait to float out of their self-inflicted hole. Putin is clinging to future hopes that won't achieve anything in the 5 years this war has been going on.
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u/Ire-Works 1d ago
The problem is that some people have survived for so long by drinking the piss that if the piss wasn't there they'd die of thirst.
There probably isn't an easy way to fix russia that doesn't involve a hard reset and probably a fracturing into several countries, many of which will instantly get gobbled up by China.
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u/EebilKitteh 1d ago
It's the geopolitical equivalent of "I didn't want to come to your stupid party anyway."
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u/Traveling_Solo 1d ago
Bit off topic but fun personal (kinda) story: USSR/Russia invades Karelia > grandfather and his family escapes (since they lived in the Finnish section that was taken) > decades pass > grandfather wants to show mother his childhood home > blocked at the border because "you fled from Russia".
Like the fudge? Y'all came in and forced people out then complain they didn't stay?!? ._. and to blame someone who was a kid at the time?
This, I believe, shows their mindset >.>
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u/judasmachine 1d ago
Putin can visit The Hague.
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u/fbass 1d ago
Bring Netanyahu along.. the more the merrier
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u/NMe84 1d ago
Trump to finish the trio.
(Yes, I know the US doesn't recognize the ICC. Don't care.)
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u/TimSylvester_ 21h ago
If Russia hates Europe so much, why do they want to visit so badly?
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u/Chaotic_Attack 16h ago
It’s almost like Russian government doesn’t represent its people
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u/StaysAwakeAllWeek 1d ago
General rule: if russia is complaining about it we should probably keep doing it
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u/WilhelmFinn 1d ago
Last winter season in Lapland was packed with Japanese and British tourists. I think we'll manage.
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u/Beertronic 1d ago
Given the majority of Russians support the war, we don't want them. And I'd look a little closer to home regarding shots to the foot. The Russian economy is in flames, parts of Russia are often in flames. All because Putin had empire building ambitions. Slava Ukraini.
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u/discomuffin 1d ago
The Russians I’ve seen on my trips throughout the continent weren’t exactly acting like they were an asset to good times.
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u/Ketheres 1d ago
Yeah it hurts our economy a lot to not have Russian tourists around here in Finland, but all it'd take to get rid of the ban would be for Russia to stop invading Ukraine. So it's entirely up to Putin how long the ban lasts.
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u/Pinco_Pallino_ 1d ago
we won't have drunk and loud russian mafia thugs roaming in our cities, we'll miss them
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u/InconsistentRoaster 1d ago
Oh, both parties wouldn't even mind oligarch's and ministers' kids chilling in Europe, so nothing changed I guess
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u/wwarnout 1d ago
Says the country that started an unprovoked war, and has lost over 300,000 soldiers.
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u/Traskenn 1d ago
Nobody wanted Russian tourists before much less now lol
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u/janlaureys9 1d ago
Was once in an all in resort in Turkey and the Russian guests were all like “how can we be as terrible as possible ?”. Wasting food, making a complete mess and being drunk and aggressive by lunchtime. I bet the staff at those kind of resorts for sure don’t or won’t miss them.
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u/mophisus 1d ago
The last time there was a bunch of "Russian Tourist" somewhere.. didnt they annex the Crimea?
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u/miksa668 1d ago
Yes, I'm sure we'll miss having the drunken, violent psychopaths in our countries.
Oh well
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u/ExpatHist 1d ago
I vividly remember my only experience in Russia. A layover at one of the airports in Moscow. We flew on Aeroflot from North America to Rome because the ticket was 500 dollars cheaper. There were layovers in Moscow on both ways. On the return we spent about 7 hours overnight in the airport.
I cannot remember which Moscow Airport it was, but it was in Late August of 2015.
Once we arrived at the airport, I got off the plane and went to the washroom, and it was disgusting. A literal cesspool. No seat on the toliet, and it was just a pit, like you would find at a very bad rest stop on a remote highway. Someone would have to pump the thing out like a portable potty. This was just down the hall from a duty free shopping mall within the airport selling all kinda of luxury products. The juxtaposition was startling.
I couldn't believe that was the first thing the Russian authorities would have visitors see as soon as they arrived in the country. It kinda blew my mind.
I know people will doubt this story, but its true. I just couldn't understand the logic behind it.
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u/cwsjr2323 1d ago
You may have got the special lounge area bathroom with the very best the Federation has to offer.
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u/ExpatHist 1d ago
I can see the potential metaphor for the country as a whole.
But that's based on what I've seen in the media.
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u/Markies_Myth 22h ago
My relative did same - Aeroflot cheap flight, stuck in Moscow shit hole airport in just a room with 1 light, no food or drink, sat just waiting. Then the flight was like a prison sentence mid air - and that was the vibe of the staff and the food. Fucking hell, it was grim as fuck. And she did Monarch package flights to Tenerife 3am. That looks like the Orient Express in comparison. Avoid.
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u/Regretting_enforcer 1d ago
I have met the Russian tourists in Thailand. The most obnoxious people I have ever met who treat the locals as sub-humans.
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u/Thenderick 1d ago
But Moscow, I thought you wanted us to hate immigrants? Can't have it both ways!
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u/OHrangutan 1d ago
No one wants a bunch of drunk Russian guys on vacation in their town or bar. Keeping those violent alcoholics out of civilization could be the one upside of the war.
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u/Hellstorm901 1d ago
Oh no you mean the Russian people are angry that the countries they have spent 4 years threatening to nuke in response to their failures in an unprovoked invasion they started are choosing to ban them from visiting
Diddums
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u/Correct-Insurance861 1d ago
Why, because russians contribute so much to the West when they travel abroad? The West will survive just fine without them.
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u/Karli_Chirk 22h ago edited 22h ago
The ones who appear in EU after the ban comes in action must be one to one exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers, civilians and kids currently detained by Russians.
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u/skyfishgoo 20h ago
gee, it seems like someone has "shooting oneself in the foot" on the brain lately... i wonder if there is an epidemic of that going on over there, or something.
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u/FrostBricks 19h ago
Remember when Russian "Tourists" literally assassinated people in European streets and nothing happened? (The most covered being all the way back in 2018)
And Russia took that as permission and Russian "Tourists" have been responsible for a wide range of (mostly foiled) threats all across Europe in ever increasing numbers?
The only way to stop a bully is to push back. About bloody time Europe pushed back. Good on em.
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u/RidetheSchlange 10h ago
Lots of ski resorts and tourist areas are much more pleasant since the Bogner-wearing types have been banned and the rest of them know to keep a low profile instead of starting trouble.
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u/DocHolidayPhD 8h ago
Moscow says that Europe is being mean for not letting their spies into their lands.
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u/karkonthemighty 23h ago
We had some Russian tourists come visit my country for an obscure cathedral.
It didn't end well.
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u/sorean_4 1d ago
I am deeply touched they are concerned about our financial well being. Now all Russians should be blocked from Entering EU or NATO countries.
Anyone working for Russia and its security apparatus with EU passports should be treated as a traitor and punished accordingly.
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u/xaviernoodlebrain 1d ago
As opposed to Russia, whose war with Ukraine is them shooting themselves in the head
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u/usushio_ 1d ago
Thank you Russia, I'm glad the profitability of the European tourism industry is a great concern of yours <3
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u/ResourceWonderful514 23h ago
How is it going in Budva, Dubai and Thailand with russian tourist invasion?
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u/Blackstrider 1d ago
Moscow says Europe is "Pushing itself out a Window" banning both Russian tourists
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u/pwettyhuman 1d ago
Russia is shooting itself in the foot by fighting a war that is wrecking their economy.
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u/el_dude_brother2 1d ago
Europe which is full to the brims with tourists from all over the world.
Think we'll cope without a small number of rude Russians.
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u/Dutchie854 1d ago
Even without the war that should be considered a good riddance. Most Russian tourists seem to make it their purpose to be terrible assholes.
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u/GoredonTheDestroyer 20h ago
Lemme put it like this - The EU banning Russian tourists is like shooting themselves in the foot with a handgun, Russia continuing to invade Ukraine and antagonize the rest of Europe is like shooting themselves in the foot with a rocket launcher.
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u/Prophayne_ 18h ago
They can take a tour after they stop touring countries they weren't invited to.
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u/f23n09fnu0w 17h ago
Last time russian tourists visited the UK they killed a bunch of innocent people. I think Europe will do well to keep them distant. Besides, russia wouldn't want them dying in all the nukes they keep saying they're going to drop
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u/Beneficial_Showers 15h ago
Lol i went on vacation and this local shop owner told me he upcharges russian (speakers) by 25% because they were rude and entitled to him.
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u/FitSandwich4725 11h ago
Russia can say whatever it wants, and it does. It doesn't mean that it means something, or that we should pay attention.
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u/Successful_Two4669 2h ago
Those fuckers do not travel well either. Always seem rude as shit whenever they travel
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u/pewsquare 1d ago
True, but its the kind of shot from one of those spring loaded plastic BB guns, where you barely feel anything, and there are no downsides really.
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u/mtranda 1d ago
Each morning I wake up in my adoptive city that was invaded by ruzzians in 1968 and I tell myself "do you know what this gorgeous city is missing? Some ruzzian tourists!". A deep sadness overwhelms me as both I and my co-dwellers deeply miss the ruzzian botinok.
P.S.: I moved here from further east.
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u/luxcity-louche 1d ago
Shooting yourself in the foot, that's how soldiers got out of suicidal frontal assaults in WW1 trenches.
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u/FencerPTS 1d ago
Sounds like something they'd say when faced with losing it. True strength is quiet.
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u/BubbhaJebus 22h ago
Russia is shooting itself in the foot by arresting and threatening to arrest tourists who might slip up and speak the truth.
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u/ItchyPlant 15h ago
Even without the war, the average Russian tourist is the last thing you wish to visit your property.
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u/casastorta 1d ago
I was in Turkey recently… There Russian tourists can always come, and historically most of the places in the area we stayed at catered to Russian tourists - bleached out signs in Russian are everywhere. Newer signs for apparently now majority German visitors.
Russian tourists close to 0. I’ve heard more Ukrainian and Bulgarian than Russian while we were there.
So yeah…. No.
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u/ISmellLikeBlackTea 1d ago
I would givena a months worth of salary just not to meet a Russian ever again.
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u/Dazzling-Tough6798 1d ago
Better to do that than risk people being Novichok‘d to death by a bunch of blockheaded „tourists“
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u/Agreeable-Storm-4132 1d ago
Any Russians living in Europe right now should all be treated as suspected Russian operatives
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u/ManicMakerStudios 23h ago
Ya, they're making it harder for Russia to flood the EU with spies and saboteurs. Those chumps.
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u/Blubbolo 1d ago
He meant the escorts right?
Because no one is missing the drunken Russian and as for rich tourist...the ones from Asia and Qatar, Saudi ecc are better.
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u/kuffdeschmull 1d ago
best vacation I as a tourist and locals as hosts had was since Russians don‘t come no more. While they used to spend a lot, they also misbehaved and destroyed a lot and were noisy and drunk.
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u/24_August_1814 23h ago
“They are shooting themselves in the foot,” he said, framing Europe’s visa restrictions as a policy that damages European businesses dependent on Russian tourist spending
I would really love to know if a single European business exists that is dependent on Russian tourist spending.
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u/QueenAvril 20h ago
Extremely sadly: Basically all of even remotely tourism adjacent businesses in Eastern Finland. So yes, there actually are places in Europe, where loss of Russian tourism has been an economic disaster.
Yet we really don’t want them here until their terrorist regime is turned over and this probably was the necessary ripping of a band-aid that was needed for Finland to be forced to reinvent its economy in a way that isn’t in any way dependent on Russia which has always been a liability and will remain as such till the unforeseeable future. But the hopelessly grim economic situation does suck for a big time.
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u/MorbotheDiddlyDo 20h ago
Russia knows a lot about the health of their feet. Like this who had dreams of getting a 3rd foot from radiation only to end up with 1 less foot.
Need more tourism bans. Let em visit Pyongyangang instead. I'm sure theres a lot of idealistic cultural overlap between lesser Korea and Russia.
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u/diagnosisbutt 1d ago
They'd know a lot about that I guess