The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) predicts the growth of "card tourism" next year - the departure of Russian citizens abroad to obtain cards of international payment systems. This is due to the decrease in the number of Russian banks accepting UnionPay cards and the difficulties in exchanging old dollar bills.
ATOR Vice President Artur Muradyan noted that with the restriction of UnionPay cards, tour operators expect tens of thousands of new requests for Visa and MasterCard registration in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The main destinations of "card tourism" will be Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia.
According to expert estimates, currently only 1% of Russians traveling abroad have Visa and MasterCard cards issued in neighboring countries.
We are talking about active travelers who make several trips a year, including to European countries.
However, other experts are more optimistic about the use of international payment system cards by Russians abroad. Research has shown that by the end of 2023, the share of such cards may reach 15%.
Roman Prokhorov, head of the Financial Innovation Association, believes that mass demand for foreign Visa and MasterCard cards is unlikely, since those who often travel abroad have already оформлены them. In addition, the use of foreign cards creates inconvenience and risks for Russian owners.
Timur Aitov, Chairman of the Commission on Financial and Information Security of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia, noted that in order to open a card account in a friendly country, it is necessary to obtain a local analogue of TIN or register, as in Armenia.
The risks of дистанционного opening an account and receiving a card without приезжая to the country are also high, as this is often done by dubious organizations using various illegal schemes.
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