Chinese visits to Russia increase sevenfold, according to data
Statistics indicate that the flow of tourists from China to Russia surged dramatically in the first nine months of the year. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The increase in visitors to Russia has reportedly been driven by changes in entry visa regulations and the introduction of online services.
According to a report by RBK on Friday, Russia has experienced a sevenfold increase in Chinese visitors compared to the previous year, with overall tourist traffic tripling since the beginning of 2024, based on data from the country’s Federal Security Service.
Between January and September 2024, foreign citizens made 13 million trips to Russia, marking an 11% increase from the same period in 2023, according to FSB border service figures. This amounts to an additional 1.3 million trips compared to last year.
During that timeframe, the number of tourist visits to Russia escalated to 1.2 million, a significant rise from 429,100 during the same period in 2023, as reported by FSB statistics.
The data also highlights a substantial increase in demand from Chinese tourists, who took 731,800 trips from January to September—nearly seven times the number of trips made last year, when 105,800 were recorded.
While analysts noted the growing interest from Chinese travelers, they pointed out that these figures are still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, for instance, 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Russia within the same three-quarter timeframe.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese nationals comprised the majority of foreign tourists in Russia, with over 80% of them traveling as part of tourist groups under a visa-free agreement.
The noticeable rise in Chinese tourist numbers has been attributed to eased entry visa rules and the implementation of online visa services, as stated by Daria Domostroyeva, the PR director at Intourist travel company. Currently, travelers from China make up 65% of the overall influx of international tourists.
Due to Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the Ukraine conflict, there are now significantly fewer flights connecting Russia and EU countries. Consequently, Russia's tourism sector has shifted its focus towards Asia and the Middle East.
Additionally, researchers have observed growing interest in travel to Russia from other nations, including Iran, Türkiye, the UAE, and India. There has also been a nearly twelvefold increase in arrivals from Saudi Arabia, with 39,100 visitors in the first nine months of this year compared to just 3,300 during the same period last year.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
According to a report by RBK on Friday, Russia has experienced a sevenfold increase in Chinese visitors compared to the previous year, with overall tourist traffic tripling since the beginning of 2024, based on data from the country’s Federal Security Service.
Between January and September 2024, foreign citizens made 13 million trips to Russia, marking an 11% increase from the same period in 2023, according to FSB border service figures. This amounts to an additional 1.3 million trips compared to last year.
During that timeframe, the number of tourist visits to Russia escalated to 1.2 million, a significant rise from 429,100 during the same period in 2023, as reported by FSB statistics.
The data also highlights a substantial increase in demand from Chinese tourists, who took 731,800 trips from January to September—nearly seven times the number of trips made last year, when 105,800 were recorded.
While analysts noted the growing interest from Chinese travelers, they pointed out that these figures are still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, for instance, 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Russia within the same three-quarter timeframe.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese nationals comprised the majority of foreign tourists in Russia, with over 80% of them traveling as part of tourist groups under a visa-free agreement.
The noticeable rise in Chinese tourist numbers has been attributed to eased entry visa rules and the implementation of online visa services, as stated by Daria Domostroyeva, the PR director at Intourist travel company. Currently, travelers from China make up 65% of the overall influx of international tourists.
Due to Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the Ukraine conflict, there are now significantly fewer flights connecting Russia and EU countries. Consequently, Russia's tourism sector has shifted its focus towards Asia and the Middle East.
Additionally, researchers have observed growing interest in travel to Russia from other nations, including Iran, Türkiye, the UAE, and India. There has also been a nearly twelvefold increase in arrivals from Saudi Arabia, with 39,100 visitors in the first nine months of this year compared to just 3,300 during the same period last year.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
