According to the Russian “Tour Operators Association”, Russian tourists travel to China only from the Far East regions. At the same time, the processes of coordinating the sending of visa-free groups to Russia in China were suspended.
On August 1, 2023, it was announced that the group visa-free exchange between Russia and China would resume. However, as of August 31, the entry of Chinese groups to Russia under this plan had not yet begun, and the “visa-free” exit was only valid in the Far East. This was announced by the Russian “Association of Tour Operators” on September 1.
The association notes that before the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese visa-free groups accounted for most of the tourist flow from China to Russia. Tour operators and tourism businesses hoped that this process would continue and grow. However, currently most regions of Russia, including the Central part, are not included in the visa-free exchange system with China.
The only exception is the Far Eastern regions of Russia, where citizens can already travel to China in groups without a visa. However, within the scope of this program, there is still no mass flow of Chinese tourists to Russia.
The reasons for the delay in reviving mass tourism from China via visa-free exchange remain unclear. On the Chinese side, the agreed processes to send groups to Russia without a visa have been suspended, and the reasons for this decision are unknown.
According to the association, an event for Russian-Chinese tourism will be held in Moscow on September 13 by the China National Tourism Office. Issues related to visa-free travel and accreditation at PRC visa centers are expected to be discussed at this event.
Recall, on September 1, Kremlin president Vladimir Putin announced that he plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon. At the same time, the President of the Russian Federation said that his Chinese colleagues call them friends.
Source: Focus
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