Belarus and Latvia: tourist blockade

Belarusian tour operators have faced new restrictions on tourist bus trips to Latvia, which critics say have hit the business of legal carriers and created conditions for the growth of gray-market schemes. Latvian authorities, particularly in Riga, expected more effective outcomes from closing the border with Belarus; however, reports indicate these measures have not significantly reduced the flow of tourists. Marina Romanovskaya, a representative of a government organization, stated she would continue discussing the consequences of this move and propose measures to support the industry.