MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russian travel agencies are ready to receive Chinese tourists, the first tourist groups from China are expected in February-March, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported on Friday.
"Russian travel agencies note that they are ready to receive groups of Chinese tourists. The first groups are expected in February - March of this year," the statement says.
In particular, the Intourist travel firm has received many applications from Chinese tourists for summer group tours to Russia. They apply for such destinations as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Kazan, Baikal, Vladivostok and Kamchatka, ATOR said, referring to the tour operator.
Alexander Kurnosov, deputy director of the Academservice company, told ATOR that both the Russian and Chinese sides are interested in resuming the flow of tourists. The fact that Russia accepts cards from the Chinese UnionPay payment system will also play a role in restoring the incoming flow of tourists from China, Kurnosov said.
According to ATOR, the resumption of tourism from China will improve the situation in Russian inbound tourism. But in the absence of Europeans and tourists from the United States, the Chinese market will not be able to fully restore the incoming tourist flow to Russia.