Russia's New Year's Holiday Interest in China Increases

After China introduced the 30-day visa liberalization program, Russian citizens' interest in the country for their New Year's holiday preferences increased rapidly.

Thanks to the unilateral visa-free regime between Russia and China, which went into effect on September 15, Russian citizens can now enter China visa-free for 30 days. This regulation was quickly reflected in tourism statistics.

According to Yandex Travel data, New Year's Eve bookings to China increased 2.8-fold in two weeks. For flights departing from Moscow, China rose from seventh to third place among the most popular destinations.

Among popular international holiday destinations, Thailand ranked first with a 14 percent share, followed by Belarus with 12 percent, and China came in third with 9 percent.

Krasnodar Region leads the domestic tourism market with a 19 percent share, followed by St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region with 13 percent, and the Moscow region with 10 percent.

Experts predict that interest in Russia from China will increase with the introduction of a mutual visa-free regime. Indeed, according to preliminary data, travel searches for Russia from Chinese citizens have increased by 30 percent since the beginning of September. Officials indicated that visa requirements for Chinese citizens may soon be lifted, signaling a further surge in tourism traffic between the two countries.