ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. Mutual tourist flow between Russia and China could reach around 6 mln trips by the end of 2027 thanks to extended visa-free regime, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said in an interview in the Vesti program on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The flow of Russian tourists to China increased by 60% in Q1 2026, while the flow of Chinese tourists to Russia added 25%, he said.
"Our president, in response to his Chinese counterpart’s proposal, is also extending visa-free entry until the end of 2027. If the current pace continues, we expect mutual tourist flow to reach around 6 mln by the end of 2027," Chernyshenko said.
Earlier, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an extension of the visa-free regime until 2027. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia would also extend the visa-free regime.
The current visa-free regime initiated by Beijing was scheduled to expire in mid-September. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its extension until December 31, 2027. During the visa-free regime’s validity 2 mln Chinese visited Russia, and around 1 mln Russians visited China, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov has said.
The visa-free regime allows Russian citizens to enter China visa-free with their foreign passports for business trips, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges, or transit for up to 30 days.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place on June 3-6. This year’s theme is "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future." The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.
The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, and the Ensuring Drug Security Forum. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival and the traditional SPIEF Sports Games will take place. This year, Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF is the title partner of SPIEF.
The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.