This past year visitors from Russia increased significantly due to an improved processing time of visa approval which used biometric data, such as fingerprints.
As recent as last month the amount of visas issued in Russia by Greek consular services increased some 140 percent from September 2015, reaching 57,270 compared to 24,000, ekathimerini.com reported.
According to the online news paper, in order to help promote tourism in Greece, Alternative Foreign Minister Nikos Xydakis is said to be pushing the accelerated and more streamlined process for visa approvals in consulates abroad, hoping to see improvements across the board as in Russia.
Xydakis is reported to have met with consulate directors the previous month on two separate occasions where he discussed issuing updated guidelines for consulates abroad when issuing visas for those wanting to visit Greece.
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