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Tourist flow between China and Russia may grow 50% in 2026

The Russian Economic Development Ministry hopes to maintain the momentum of this year's first quarter

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/. Mutual tourist flow between Russia and China in 2026 may increase by an average of 50% compared to the previous year, Director of the Department for Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Russian Economic Development Ministry Nikita Kondratyev told reporters.

"We hope to maintain the momentum we saw in the first quarter. In the first quarter, growth with the Chinese side amounted to 50%, while outbound travel by Russians increased by 60% and inbound travel by Chinese citizens rose by around 25%. We hope to maintain this 50% growth dynamic throughout the year," he said.

The department head noted that tourist flow dynamics depend on seasonality. "Our citizens still travel more when it is spring and autumn in China. The summer period is somewhat lower. Chinese citizens are the opposite. Accordingly, the 25% growth figure actually reflects the winter-spring period. From May through August, we expect a larger increase," he explained.

On May 20, China decided to extend its visa-free regime with Russia through the end of 2027. Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said that thanks to the removal of visa requirements, tourist flow between Russia and China increased by 50% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Inbound travel by Chinese citizens to Russia alone rose by nearly a quarter, or 23%.

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