Maya Lomidze, director general of the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), told Pravo that the Czech Republic did not state any reason for its step.

Pravo writes, referring to its sources, that the Czech Republic has cancelled the accreditation of some 50 travel agencies in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the year.

The Czech Foreign Ministry speaks about 50 agencies in another six countries of the region since May 2011, Pravo writes.

Accreditation makes it easier for travel agencies to acquire visas for their clients, which is an advantage over competition, the paper writes.

It says Sergei Shpilko, president of the Russian Tourism Association, that represents 2500 firms, wrote a letter to Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in this connection on May 28.

Pravo writes that the Czech Foreign Ministry eventually reduced to three the number of Russian travel agencies that lost the accreditation.

The Czech Foreign Ministry told Pravo that serious breaches of commitments were behind the withdrawal or non-extension of accreditations.

Pravo, citing the RIA-Novosti server, writes that half a million Russians arrived in the Czech Republic last year. This year the number is expected to rise to 750,000.

The Russians pay some 1.5 billion crowns for visas per year. The Czech Republic is the Russians' 11th most popular destination, according to the server.