At the airport on the Venezuelan island of Margarita, special rules have been introduced to sell alcohol duty-free for Russian tourists.
Margarita Island (Spanish: Isla Margarita) is the largest island of Venezuela, located in the southern Caribbean Sea. It is located just 40 km from mainland Venezuela and is considered one of the most beautiful places in the country, where both local and foreign tourists love to relax.
The island was once a must-visit destination for many European tour operators, but due to delays with local government authorities, most airlines refused to fly to this paradise.
One of the few airlines that still operate flights to Margarita Island is the Russian company Nordwind Airlines. Thanks to this, as well as due to the restrictions and sanctions introduced in many countries, the flow of Russian tourists to the Venezuelan island of Margarita has increased significantly over the past year and a half.
However, at the end of October, the local airport decided to limit the rights of Russians – now Russian citizens can receive alcohol purchased in Duty-free stores only a few minutes before departure. You can buy alcohol earlier, but upon purchase, tourists will be given a special paper coupon, which can be exchanged for the “cherished bottle” immediately before boarding the plane. True, this only applies to strong alcohol; beer is issued without coupons.
The decision was made after several high-profile scandals occurred with Russian tourists drinking purchased alcohol in the waiting room. According to an airport spokesman, Russian tourists got so drunk that they were unable to fly home or started fights.