MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Kamchatka, Altai, Tyumen, and the Russian North are priority destinations for launching direct flights from China, Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Dmitry Vakhrukov said at a meeting with Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China Sun Yeli.

"We propose preparing a priority list of regions for the launch of direct flights for the next meeting. There are currently no flights from China to popular destinations such as Kamchatka, Altai, Tyumen, and the Russian North, even though the infrastructure to accommodate Chinese tourists is already in place there. <…> We look forward to the Chinese side’s assistance in this matter," Vakhrukov was quoted as saying by the ministry’s press service.

In the first quarter of 2026, the mutual flow of tourists between the countries doubled compared to the same period last year, reaching 825,000 people. This result was driven by the introduction of a visa-free regime and a relationship of trust between the relevant agencies, the ministry noted.

The tenth meeting of the heads of tourism administrations from Russia, China, and Mongolia took place on the previous day. Key decisions were adopted during the meeting, moving the historic Great Tea Road project from the discussion stage to the practical implementation phase.

"The Chinese side will present its vision for the route’s geography and branding, taking our proposals into account, and the ministers of the three countries will approve it at a future meeting. Concurrently, we will task the business community with developing a technical specification for the tourism product, establishing the unified criteria that regions and tour operators will use to create their offerings. We will then fine-tune the infrastructure, logistics, and services to align with these specific products," Vakhrukov explained.

The parties agreed to exchange comments on the Russian draft memorandum regarding the route’s implementation and to begin creating a unified map of the Great Tea Road featuring tourist attractions across all three countries. Additionally, two more Mongolian provinces, Tuv and Darkhan-Uul, have been admitted to the Great Tea Road international alliance, thereby expanding the geographical scope and strengthening the practical foundation for cross-cultural travel, the ministry added.