Visa-free policy to attract more Chinese tourists

Russia's decision greenlighting a visa-free policy for Chinese nationals was a reciprocal response to China's earlier visa-free pilot policy for Russian citizens, which will greatly ease cross-border travel and is seen as a key step in deepening people-to-people ties while also boosting practical cooperation across sectors, experts said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Nov 1 allowing Chinese nationals to enter Russia visafree for tourism or business purposes for up to 30 days, on a reciprocal basis. It will last until Sept 14, 2026.

Timofei Bordachev, program director at the Valdai Discussion Club, said the mutual Russia-China visa waiver carries far-reaching strategic significance.

"The transition to a mutual visafree regime between Russia and China is not a routine border-opening measure — it rests on a high level of political trust," he said.

Bordachev said the visa-free policy is a long-term, systemic project that will create conditions for deeper cooperation. Large-scale travel will underscore the need for convenient cross-border payments, spurring bilateral payment systems, and the policy will support Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises in Russia, which could inject new dynamism and stability into its economy.

It will also strengthen the resilience of strategic coordination between Moscow and Beijing, and reflects both sides' confidence in their shared development path, he said.

The visa-free policy for Chinese citizens is expected to increase tourist arrivals in Russia from China by 30 percent to 40 percent during the summer season, according to Alexander Musikhin, vice-president for inbound tourism at the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

Alexander Biba, president of Cosmos Hotel Group — one of the largest hotel companies in the Russian market, said the visa-free policy has boosted the tourism industries' potential in both countries. Biba told China Daily that in the first nine months of 2025, the number of guests from China rose 8 percent year-on-year, and their share in the company's total foreign tourist flow reached 34 percent.

"The top five destinations include Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Sochi and Yaroslavl. We see growth in both organized groups and independent travelers, which confirms the sustainability of demand," he added.

Nikita Kondratiev, director of the department for multilateral economic cooperation and special projects at Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, said on the government's Russia Explained portal, that "under the visa-free policy, we expect over 2 million Chinese tourists next year. Our goal is to reach 5.5 million by 2030."

Artyom Prokofyev, a member of the State Duma's tourism committee, said the strategy aims to unlock future potential. "Chinese tourists already rank first by arrivals, but their future potential is even more important. The visa-free regime will fully release the potential of inbound tourism from China, help raise utilization of our tourism infrastructure, and create many jobs," he said.

The surge in tourist flows also poses a test for infrastructure capacity. Irina Antonova, owner of tour operator Tesori Travel, said hotel supply is already tight in places like Murmansk during the aurora season, and it is unclear whether hotels could cope if large numbers of Chinese tourists arrive.

Valentina Asseyeva, a representative of the Russian Union of the Travel Industry, said that while central Russia offers better prices and experiences for Chinese tourists, local hosting capacity and accommodation conditions still need improvement.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn