The number of Russian tourists visiting China increased by 53% in…
The number of Russian tourists visiting China increased by 53% in the first quarter of 2026, driven by the extension of the visa-free regime between Russia and China until December 31, 2027. The growth is expected to continue throughout the year, with projections indicating a rise of up to 40–50% for Russian visits to China and a potential increase in Chinese tourists visiting Russia by 27–35%.
Consensus
- The visa-free regime between Russia and China was extended until December 31, 2026.
- The number of Russian tourists traveling to China increased significantly in the first quarter of 2024.
- The extension of the visa-free agreement is a key factor driving tourism growth between the two countries.
- Tourists are increasingly visiting Hainan Island and major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
- The average cost of a nine- to ten-day tour to China for two people starts at 60,000–118,000 rubles.
Points of divergence
- The number of Russian tourists visiting China grew by 53% in the first quarter 2026. — gazeta_spb
- The number of Russian tourists visiting China increased by up to 60% in the first quarter 2024, and Chinese visitors to Russia rose by 25%. — vedomosti
- The tourism flow from China to Russia is projected to grow by 27–35% in 2026 due to the visa-free regime extension. — interfax
- Russian tourists visiting Hainan increased by 67.4% from January to May 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. — kommersant
Coverage (5 sources)
- Tourist traffic from Russia to China grew by 53% in the first quarter of 2026 - SPB Newspaper — Gazeta.SPb
- Tourist traffic between Russia and China may reach 6 million trips by the end of 2027 — Ведомости
- Agora forecasts a 27-35% increase in tourist traffic from China to Russia thanks to visa-free entry — Интерфакс
- Agora expects annual passenger traffic from China to grow by 27-35% — Ведомости
- Tourist flow of Russians to Hainan has increased by almost 70% since the beginning of 2026 — Коммерсантъ
Key entities
- Russia
- China
- ATOR
- China
- Hainan
- Dmitry Chernyshenko
- Maya Lomidze
- Moscow
- INTERFAX.RU
- RIA Novosti
- Saint Petersburg
- Arthur Muradyan
- SPB RU News Newspaper
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