【Wen/Observer Net Wang Yong, Editor/Zhao Qiankun】

According to TASS on December 1, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development expects that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Russia next year will exceed 2 million, thanks to the implementation of the visa-free policy.

Nikita Kondratiev, head of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, said that among international tourists entering Russia, the number of Chinese tourists is currently the highest. In 2024, over 1 million Chinese tourists visited Russia, with 300,000 using e-visas and nearly 1 million entering through the visa-free group tourism mechanism. Russia's goal is to attract 5.5 million Chinese tourists by 2030.

On December 1, Russian President Putin signed a decree allowing Chinese citizens to temporarily enter Russia. According to the decree, citizens holding ordinary Chinese passports can enter Russia without a visa for tourism, business travel, and participation in scientific, cultural, social-political, economic, and sports activities, as well as transiting through Russia, with a visa-free period of 30 days, valid until September 14, 2026 (including that day). The decree took effect immediately upon signing.

The Cathedral of St. Basil in Moscow's Red Square, Visual China

According to RIA Novosti on December 1, Russian analysts pointed out that the process of Sino-Russian tourism cooperation needs to be accelerated to match the strong demand for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The current temporary visa-free policy has the potential to be converted into a long-term visa-free arrangement, while the tourism product lines and destination layouts need further expansion. Currently, Chinese tourists' itineraries are overly focused on core cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the vast regions of Russia still need to be deeply developed.

Nikolai Yurlyev, vice-chairman of the Russian Federation Council, previously stated that the potential for Sino-Russian tourism cooperation is huge. Driven by the benefits of the visa-free policy, it is expected that the number of two-way tourists this year will exceed 3.5 million, an increase of about 30% compared to the previous year.

According to data provided by Ctrip Travel to Observer Net, since China implemented the visa-free policy for Russia on September 15 this year, related travel orders have significantly increased compared to the same period last year. Among them, the number of air ticket bookings from Russia increased by 190%, and hotel bookings increased by 213%. The top ten destinations with the highest passenger flow were Beijing, Shanghai, Sanya, Guangzhou, Zhangjiajie, Harbin, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi'an, and Heihe respectively.

The recent visa-free policy implemented by Russia towards China will greatly stimulate Chinese tourists' willingness to travel to Russia, attracting more independent travelers and group tourists. Referring to the growth trend of Russian tourists coming to China after China's visa-free policy for Russia, it is expected that the booking volume of Chinese tourists' flights, hotels, and local tourism products to Russia will see significant increases.

Data provided by Qunar to Observer Net shows that after the announcement of the visa-free policy for China, the search volume for flights to Russia surged instantly, with the most popular departure locations being Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, among others.

Additionally, the search volume for flights to St. Petersburg and Moscow showed outstanding performance. The search volume for Hangzhou to St. Petersburg flights increased by 3.6 times, the search volume for flights departing from Guangzhou increased by 1 time, and the search volume for flights departing from Beijing increased by 47%. The search volume for flights from Beijing to Moscow increased by 44%, and the search volume for flights departing from Shenzhen and Chongqing increased by more than 30% respectively.

Compared to last week's growth rate, the search volume for domestic flights to St. Petersburg showed the most significant growth in cities such as Urumqi, Qingdao, Xiamen, Harbin, and Shenyang, with Urumqi increasing by 16 times, Qingdao by 15 times, Xiamen by 11 times, Harbin by 3.6 times, and Shenyang by 2.5 times. For flights to Moscow, the search volume for flights departing from Changde, Zhanjiang, Yangzhou, Yinchuan, and Yantai saw an increase of more than three times, with Changde and Zhanjiang showing growth rates exceeding ten times.

Data provided by Flightradar24 to Observer Net shows that as of 17:00 on December 1, the search volume for flights to Russia increased nearly five times compared to the previous day.

Two Chinese tourists at Moscow's Red Square. The Moscow Times

Li Mengran, manager of the Marketing and Public Relations Department at Zhongxin Tourism, told Observer Net that although it is not currently a conventional tourist season in Russia, the Northern Lights tour in Murmansk remains popular among Chinese tourists. Since 2012, Zhongxin Tourism has been the official ticketing agent for the Sochi Winter Olympics, introducing Russia's high-quality snow resources to the domestic market for the first time.

Li Mengran introduced that in winter 2025, Zhongxin Tourism has developed themed tours for viewing the Northern Lights in places like Murmansk in Russia, and will continue to develop specialty tourism routes and products related to snow, military, and other themes. With the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, these products' market competitiveness will be further enhanced and are expected to attract more domestic tourists. In addition, the implementation of the visa-free policy will also further promote areas such as study tours, business meetings, and official visits, building a closer communication bridge between the people of the two countries.

RIA Novosti's report also mentioned that the Russian tourism industry generally has a positive outlook on the visa-free policy for Chinese travelers and the benefits it brings to attracting Chinese tourists. Alexander Musikhin, co-chair of the International Tourism Committee of the Russian Tourism Association, stated, "This policy will help further increase the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Russia. China is currently one of Russia's most important tourism source countries."

Musikhin pointed out that the most popular tourist destinations for Chinese tourists are currently Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Russian Far East, among others. "In recent years, the proportion of Chinese tourists traveling to Russia in the form of independent travel has been continuously increasing, and the relevant visa-free policy introduced by Russia will further promote this trend."

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7579183503955264042/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author."