The demand among Chinese for flights to Russia has increased significantly after the abolition of visas to the Russian Federation

The approach of the busy winter tourism season and the visa-free regime with a maximum stay of up to 30 days per entry in Russia have become a powerful impetus for increasing demand among Chinese citizens for Russian tours. This was reported on December 4 by the Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency.

It is noted that Chinese travel agencies have recorded both an impressive and rapid increase in requests for flights to Russia.

According to the Fliggy integrated travel services platform, less than an hour after the announcement of the visa cancellation, the number of requests for flights to Russia soared more than nine times compared to the previous day.

The Qunar tour platform, which is the largest operating in Chinese, also noted an increase in interest after the announcement of visa-free travel to Russia. They specify that the number of search queries for the Beijing-Moscow flight increased by 44%, from Shenzhen and Chongqing — by more than 30%, from Guangzhou — by two times.

According to travel agencies, Moscow, Murmansk, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Irkutsk have become the most desirable cities among Chinese tourists.

"Magnets for Chinese travelers have become, in particular, the shimmering splendor of the Murmansk Aurora Borealis and Lake Baikal, famous in China as the crystal clear "eye" of Siberia," the publication says.

At the same time, the Chinese tour operator Tongcheng notes that requests for flights to Russia on their platform have been steadily growing since the beginning of November, and hotel booking activity in Russia has increased by 40% compared to the same period last year.

In addition, many tour operators anticipate an avalanche-like increase in cross-border tourist trips through the checkpoint in Heilongjiang province, separated from Russia by the rivers Heilongjiang, Amur and Usuliziang, Ussuri, the newspaper notes.

Entrance route: Russia creates a transport corridor with China along the Lena River

To do this, a new port will be built in Yakutia and the river fleet will be updated.

On December 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the temporary entry procedure for Chinese citizens to Russia. According to the document, by September 14, 2026, Chinese citizens will be able to enter Russia and stay on its territory without visas for up to 30 days, subject to the principle of reciprocity. Holders of ordinary Chinese passports are allowed to visit Russia for guest and business visits, for tourist and other purposes.

Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Wang Yi said on December 2 that the decision on visa-free entry for Chinese citizens to Russia is very important, as it will serve as an impetus for the development of further contacts. He added that the visa-free regime would facilitate mutual travel for Russian and Chinese citizens.

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