Recall that in January, China opened its borders to foreign tourists. And on Feb. 6, overseas Chinese organized group travel was also allowed. Tourism enthusiasts rushed to book tours, especially in Russia. And our demand for air tickets to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou has increased by 70%. However, everything turned out not so simple. There is an agreement between our countries, concluded in February 2000, which allows tourists organized in groups of 5 to 50 people to enter a neighboring country according to the lists without issuing a visa for up to 15 days. On January 31, 2020 – at the start of the pandemic – it was suspended by government decree. And although this order itself has already been canceled, the technical problems of visa-free renewal are not resolved: the lists of host travel agencies are being coordinated. And the number of thefts has yet to reach 10% of pre-pandemic figures, even though the Department of Transport promises that their number will increase. Therefore, tourists from both countries will have to wait a little longer.
– Moscow and St. Petersburg were visited by organized groups of Chinese citizens who applied for visas to Russia. There is still no visa-free regime between our countries, – explains tourism expert Maya Kotlyar. – As far as I know, the corresponding agreement is ready, but not yet approved. It might happen in March. But in any case, the influx of Chinese tourists to Russian cities – 1.5 million a year, as before, is not yet worth the wait. Restoring air traffic is not an easy process. Now our Aeroflot flies to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Chinese airlines fly to us, but only to the central region. However, these thefts are one, of course this is not enough. You have to understand that in the Middle Kingdom they are afraid of the parallel American sanctions that could follow if Chinese airlines fly en masse to Russia. And one more factor: in China, our dual-registered planes cannot be refueled and maintained now, and since we are talking about long-haul flights, this seriously complicates the situation.
