Such a number of them became possible due to the mutual visa-free regime, which is provided for tourist groups. Citizens of Germany, Turkey and Turkmenistan also visit Russia.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said that at the end of the first half of 2024, half of all foreign tourists were Chinese - 301,900 visits. It is noted that before the pandemic and sanctions, vacationers from China were also the largest category of tourists in the country.
In total, 584,600 people entered Russia with tourist purposes this year. This is 70% less than in 2019, but also 300% more than in 2023. Of these, in addition to China, the top three are Turkmenistan, Turkey and Germany.
But ATOR notes that tourism for citizens of these countries is often only a formal explanation for entry, while in reality these trips are of a personal or business nature. As for tourists from the PRC, such a number of them became possible due to the visa-free regime for tourist groups.
Earlier it was reported that Russian tourists in Mongolia overtook the number of vacationers from China.