According to Russian media RBC, tourists from China have become the highest number of foreign visitors to Russia in the first nine months of this year. The Russian Federal Security Service’s border service recorded a total of 429,100 foreign tourist trips during this period, with 105,800 of them being made by Chinese citizens. These numbers are in stark contrast to the same period in 2022 when only 563 Chinese tourists visited Russia, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions.
The report suggests that the introduction of Russia’s e-visa service and the reestablishment of the visa-free regime for tourist groups between China and Russia have played a significant role in the increase of tourist traffic from China to Russia. This demonstrates that these policy changes have effectively revitalized tourism between the two countries.
Prior to the pandemic, China held the position of being Russia’s primary source of tourists. Moreover, Chinese tourists were known for their notable contributions to Russia’s tourism spending among foreign visitors.
