Foreign tourists could get electronic visas to visit Sochi

In a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the governor of the Krasnodar Territory (also known as Kuban region) Veniamin Kondratyev has suggested that Sochi, a major Black Sea resort, be included in Russian areas using electronic visas for foreigners, the region's press service said, Sputnik reports.

Lavrov and Kondratyev met in Krasnodar where the 14th Conference of Partner Cities of Russia and Germany openedon Wednesday.

Kondratyev said the area is becoming increasingly attractive for foreign tourists. According to local authorities, 900,000 foreign holiday-makers visited Kuban in 2016, which makes 6 percent of the total number of tourists in Russia last year. The majority of them prefer Sochi.

The governor said the tourist flow could increase substantially if the former Olympic capital, Sochi, was added to the list of Russian territories where foreigners are allowed to enter with electronic visas.

"I hope with your support we will be able to make it easier for tourists to come to Sochi," the governor said to Lavrov.