The tourist flow from China to Russia will continue to grow, and this summer the figure may be 30% higher than a year earlier, said Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. According to her, the summer season is traditionally the peak for Chinese tourists, and the current visa-free regime additionally stimulates demand.
ATOR recalled that before the pandemic, more than 2 million tourists from China visited Russia annually, while by the end of 2025 the figure exceeded 1 million people. The abolition of visas for Chinese citizens has already had a noticeable effect: in the border regions of the Far East, the tourist flow increased by about 30%, in Murmansk — by more than 15%, in Moscow and St. Petersburg - up to 10%.
At the same time, the number of trips by Russians to China is also increasing. According to ATOR, the outbound tourist flow from Russia to China has already grown by 30% and in 2026 may increase by more than a third in annual terms. The mutual visa-free regime is valid until mid-September 2026.
