KIROVSK /Murmansk Region/, November 6. /TASS/. Inbound tourist arrivals to Russia from January through September 2026 grew by 17.5% year-on-year to 4.2 million people, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko announced on Friday.

Chernyshenko presented the figures during an off-site meeting of the government commission on tourism development.

"It is gratifying that the inbound flow has grown by 17.5%, with more than 4 million foreign tourists visiting our country over the nine-month period," he said.

The deputy prime minister noted that the full-year target is to top 6 million trips. According to him, the growth in foreign tourist traffic is driven by the launch of electronic visas, a visa-free group travel regime with China, expanded air services, and the international promotion of Russia as a travel brand.

Chernyshenko urged Russian regions, in coordination with the hospitality industry and federal ministries, to continue efforts to enhance regional appeal for both domestic and foreign travelers.