EU Bans Travel Agencies from Organizing or Advertising Trips to Russia under New Sanctions

European travel agencies will no longer be allowed to organize or promote trips to Russia, following new sanctions adopted by the European Union targeting key sectors of the Russian economy. Under the new restrictions, EU-based companies are prohibited from offering services directly connected to tourism activities in Russia, including package tours and travel advertising.

The decision, announced after the EU Council and the European Commission approved the latest round of sanctions, aims to curb Russia’s revenue streams and discourage non-essential travel amid what officials described as a growing risk of arbitrary detention of EU citizens. The new package also expands restrictions across the economy, energy, finance, and defense industries, while tightening monitoring of the movements of Russian diplomats within the European Union, according to BTA.

One of the central measures is a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, which will come into effect in January next year. The sanctions also target Russia’s attempts to evade existing restrictions through digital finance. The EU imposed measures against the developer of the A7A5 cryptocurrency, its Kyrgyz issuer, and the operator of a trading platform that has handled large volumes of the token. These entities, European officials say, have been used by Moscow to bypass previous sanctions.

In addition, transactions with eight banks and oil traders based in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong are now prohibited. The list of sanctioned institutions has also been expanded to include five Russian banks: Istina, Zemsky Bank, Absolut Bank, MTS Bank, and Alfa-Bank.

Further restrictions prevent European firms from cooperating with Russia’s national payment card system Mir, as well as with the country’s fast payment system SBP. The EU has also introduced a prior authorization regime for any services provided to the Russian government, meaning that companies must obtain approval before engaging in such activities.

The new measures, part of a broader strategy to limit Russia’s access to global financial and commercial networks, represent one of the most comprehensive sanctions packages since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.