MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – Russia saw an influx of 2.5 million foreign visitors during the first half of 2026, representing a 20.1% increase compared to the previous year. China remained the primary source of international travelers, making up over 22% of all foreign arrivals. These latest statistics underscore a significant boost in Russia’s inbound tourism from January to June. Nikita Kondratiev, a senior official at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, shared these tourism figures during meetings held in Shenyang, China.
The figures are based on official tourism data that cover foreign visitors staying in collective accommodation facilities across Russia. Rosstat data also revealed that Russians undertook 43.2 million domestic trips in the first six months of 2026, marking a 4.3% rise from the same period in 2025. Consequently, inbound tourism expanded at a faster yearly pace than domestic tourism during this period, as measured separately by official statistics for each category.
China held the largest segment of Russia’s foreign visitor market in the first half, with travelers from Persian Gulf countries, Turkey, and India following as other key source markets. Foreign tourists ventured beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg to visit locations such as Murmansk, Vladivostok, and Kazan. Russian authorities also reported direct international air links to 34 destinations, including several countries across Asia and the Middle East.
China dominates Russia’s inbound tourism sector
These recent tourism statistics were unveiled during a Tourism Council meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative in Shenyang. Attendees also participated in a seminar focused on inbound tourism in Northeast Asia, which included discussions on cross-border travel projects involving Russia, China, and Mongolia. Among the initiatives was the development of the historic Great Tea Road tourism route, now in the implementation phase and set to encompass around 20 Russian regions.
The Russian section of the Great Tea Road is planned to stretch from the Far East and Siberia through the Urals and Volga region, extending toward Moscow and St. Petersburg. Other tourism projects discussed involved connections between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe, as well as tourism growth around Vladivostok. Additionally, delegates examined the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Lake Baikal region, and scientific tourism linked to the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Russia and China expand visa-free cooperation
As travel volumes increase, visa policies between Russia and China have been relaxed. Russia extended visa-free access for eligible Chinese citizens until Dec. 31, 2027, while China extended its visa-free policy for Russian citizens to the same date. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, regular Russian passport holders can visit without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, and transit purposes.
The first-half figures are part of a broader upward trend in cross-border travel. Chinese official data indicated that 154,200 Chinese tourists visited Russia in the first quarter of 2026, a 44% increase year-on-year. Russia also ranked second among China’s inbound visitor sources during the first half, with the latest Russian data confirming China as the leading foreign market for Russia, accounting for more than one-fifth of all international visitors recorded.