Despite a recent drop in the number of Russian tourists visiting Finland following the abrupt rise in the euro exchange rate, Finland continues to make its border more accessible and the crossing more convenient for its closest neighbors.
As a result of new initiatives, the three main Finnish border crossings with Russia are increasing the number of passenger checkpoint booths as well as the number of border guards to make the immigration process “smoother and faster from a passenger point of view,” Major Ville Joskitt, Chief of the Border Checks Sector and Border Operations Office of the Southeast Finland Border Guard District, said last week.
“In general, since 2009 the traffic of individual tourists from Russia has gradually increased. Accordingly we need to adapt our border and customs facilities to accommodate such an increase,” Joskitt said.
The number of people crossing checkpoints into Southeast Finland increased by 48 percent from 2009 to 2012, according to data from the Finnish Border Guard office. The majority of visitors traditionally come from Russia….. (more)
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Source: St.Petersburg Times - Irina Titova