China will present its national stand at the Travel Forum for the first time.

The People's Republic of China, which has become a partner country of the International Travel Forum "Travel!" this year, will participate in several formats at once – through a business program, a national stand and a vibrant cultural component of the festival. The Roscongress Foundation, together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, is the organizer of the International Travel Forum "Travel!".

The Chinese delegation will be headed by Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China Lu Yingchuan. As part of the Forum's business program, he will take part in the session "Tourism of national importance: strategic potential for international cooperation", dedicated to the development of international tourism cooperation, humanitarian ties and joint initiatives in the field of travel and hospitality. An Exhibition of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage will be organized on the territory of the business program, organized jointly with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Shandong Province and the Chinese Cultural Center in Moscow, with the participation of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Weifang City, reflecting the cultural traditions of various regions of China. The exhibition will feature the pearls of China's intangible cultural heritage – Yangjiabu New Year's bast prints, Gaomi paper clippings, Nejiazhuang clay figurines, traditional lanterns and other examples of folk art reflecting the richness of cultural traditions and the continuity of the country's craft skills.

Earlier, on the sidelines of SPIEF 2026, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said that the extension of the visa-free regime until December 31, 2027 led to an increase in tourist traffic between our countries. Thus, according to the results of the first quarter, the flow of Russian tourists to China increased by 60%, and Chinese tourists to Russia – by 25%. By the end of the year, the mutual tourist flow between Russia and China may amount to about 6 million trips.

"The participation of the People's Republic of China is an example of the country's full integration into the ecosystem of the Forum, when the international presence is not limited to the exhibition stand, but becomes part of the entire architecture of the event, from the strategic business agenda and industry dialogue to cultural initiatives and open festival formats for a wide audience," said the Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation. Anton Kobyakov.

The guests of the site will be able to get acquainted with the tourist routes and cultural heritage of the People's Republic of China at the national stand, which will be located on the mainland "Travel the world!".

"Russia and China are consistently strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism, expanding humanitarian ties and creating new opportunities for mutual travel. An important decision for this was China's extension of the visa-free regime. Visa-free travel is an extremely effective tool: in the first quarter of 2026 alone, the mutual tourist flow between Russia and China doubled, amounting to almost 1 million trips. The dialogue between Russia and China will be continued at the international tourism forum “Travel!”. It is especially important that cooperation develops in several directions at once – from strategic dialogue and industry partnership to cultural exchange in festival formats for a wide audience. This approach makes it possible to generate sustained interest in international tourism and strengthen ties between countries," said Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

One of the central events of the festival program will be the Kite Festival, one of the most recognizable symbols of Chinese culture and art, which will open on June 11 from 13:00 to 13:30 on the Main Stage of the Travel Forum festival program.

In the Retreat Zone, from June 10 to 13, Forum guests will be able to get acquainted with the traditions of creating Chinese kites, whose history dates back thousands of years - open workshops on making kites will be held.

This year, the business program of the Forum will include more than 40 events with the participation of more than 300 speakers. The festival program of the Forum will feature national stands from 12 countries. Of these, Belarus, Nicaragua, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar - for the first time, as well as Venezuela, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Uganda and Abkhazia.