The Forbidden City, Shopping, and Palm Trees: China Opens Its Borders to Russia
The visa-free policy has sparked a tourism boom, with prices still affordable
It is well known that China has abolished the visa requirement for Russian tourists since September 15. Data from Russian travel agencies show a sharp increase in demand for trips to China, with some cases rising by as much as 300%.
Previously, many Russians saw Chinese tourism as equivalent to relaxing under palm trees in Hainan Island — and only direct flights could offer visa-free entry; this situation has now completely changed. Russian tourists have experienced greater freedom of travel and are actively exploring the vast, previously less-known areas of China.
Analysts from the Russian Association of Travel Operators (АТОР) unanimously believe that the visa-free policy will not lead to an increase in the cost of traveling to China, but rather make tourism products more affordable. However, the Russian Tourism Union (РСТ) observed another phenomenon: airlines quickly responded to the surge in demand, with average ticket prices increasing by 20% to 25%.
But the Russian Tourism Union (РСТ) pointed out that the regions experiencing the fastest growth in tourist flow are currently border areas. For example, the number of tourists from the Primorsky Krai traveling to China increased by 30% compared to last year.
"Short-term shopping tours to Hunchun are very popular, and one-week tours to Harbin and Beijing are also popular," said Valery Britaus, the business director of the travel e-commerce platform YouTravel.me. "Residents of central Russia often combine beach holidays in the Primorsky Krai with sightseeing and shopping in China, dedicating one week to each activity."
However, Olga Kudryavtseva, head of the Primorsky Krai branch of the Russian Tourism Union (РСТ), believes that the abolition of visas has not significantly affected the overall tourist flow in the region, as this travel direction was already popular before.
Experts from the Russian Tourism Union (РСТ) believe that the visa-free policy will first benefit independent travelers — those who may be traveling for business or who are fluent in Chinese. The target audience for travel agencies, on the other hand, are those who do not speak Chinese and are unfamiliar with local conditions, preferring group tours to explore China.
As demand continues to grow, new airlines will enter the region, and the frequency of flights between Russian and Chinese cities will increase, which will intensify market competition and drive down ticket prices.
Currently, there are 14 cities in Russia with direct flights to China, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok (Vladivostok), Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk), Zhezqazgan, Nizhneilimsk, and Yakutsk.
More than half of the flights depart from Moscow, offering direct flights to three major Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. In addition, Air China and China Eastern Airlines also operate flights between Russia and China. It is worth noting that currently, there are no direct flights from airports in southern Russia to China.
Although most bookings are concentrated in the coming months, the travel platform Level.Travel notes that demand for travel to China during New Year and Christmas holidays is gradually increasing. This phenomenon indicates that Russians are also beginning to see China as an attractive winter destination.
The platform also revealed that 90% of the travel products sold for trips to China involve Hainan Island — the tourism season in Hainan begins in late autumn, and the island has already implemented a visa-free policy for Russian group tourists.
In addition, Hainan offers a wide range of comfortable hotels. However, experts have found that Russian tourists' interest in other parts of China is also growing, particularly Shanghai and Beijing. After the implementation of the visa-free policy, the number of tourists eager to see the Forbidden City and walk along the Bund has increased significantly! And this is just the beginning.
Another trend is that Russian tourists are no longer reluctant to prioritize comfort when traveling to China, with the booking rate for five-star hotels reaching a new high.
Data from the travel platform Travelata shows that at the beginning of September, the proportion of bookings for five-star hotels rose to 54%, while four-star hotels accounted for 40%. Obviously, after a long period of "visa isolation," Russians have decided to fully enjoy themselves and experience premium services.
Therefore, in the coming years, China has the potential to become one of the most favored destinations for Russian tourists, even surpassing the previously popular Turkey in popularity.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554286369166688804/
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