Russia’s Black Sea coastal resorts including popular holiday destination Sochi will no longer accept tourists who haven’t been vaccinated against the coronavirus starting later this summer, Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev announced Thursday.
The restrictions come as Moscow and St. Petersburg battle surging Covid-19 infections and deaths driven by the highly infectious Delta variant and a stubbornly slow uptake of vaccines. In a bid to drive up vaccination rates, Moscow has announced compulsory vaccination for service workers and its restaurants will soon refuse service to customers who lack vaccination, immunity or a negative Covid-19 test.
Starting next month, Krasnodar region hotels and guest houses will only accept tourists who present a vaccine certificate or a negative PCR test.
From Aug. 1, the region’s sanatoriums, hotels and summer camps will only welcome vaccinated tourists.
Regional authorities have also ordered compulsory vaccination for tourism-sector workers starting Wednesday.
The Krasnodar region confirmed 123 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday.
Russians unable to travel abroad due to Covid restrictions have flocked to their country’s Black Sea coast this summer, with local hotels booked up to 90% capacity.
