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Authorities in St. Petersburg are preparing to teach businesses to be pro-China: they are changing the navigation system in Pulkovo, translating menus in restaurants and fixing problems with non-cash payments, writes Fontanka.
At the end of February, the first Chinese tourists arrived in Saint Petersburg. The Committee for Tourism Development told the publication that in 2023 it is worth waiting for 10-30% of the pre-pandemic flow. In 2019, one million Chinese tourists visited the northern capital.
Market players believe that the recovery of tourism is hampered by the lack of direct flights. Pulkovo Airport is ready to receive guests, two airlines serve the city – Sichuan Airlines (Chengdu, 1-2 times a week) and Hainan Airlines (Beijing, once a week). In the summer, it is planned to open new directions.
The Chinese consulate said the Russian Federation is one of 20 countries with which China plans to resume visa-free travel.
The portrait of the Chinese tourist was presented by Olga Zubova, Head of Key Account Management at Air Gates in the Northern Capital.
- 79% represented groups of tourists without visas. They are people between the ages of 50 and 60, many of whom were followers of the so-called “red tourism”. 80% of them only visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. 21% are independent travelers over the age of 22,” Zubova said.
Blogger Maxim Saprykin said that the portrait of a Chinese tourist is getting younger, young people are increasingly interested in trips to Russia. At the same time, the number of those who decided to visit St. Petersburg on their own, and not as part of tourist groups, is increasing.
One of the difficulties that market players call the language barrier. Not all tourists know English and Russian. Typically, hotels that accept Chinese tourists have employees who speak the Middle Kingdom language and also use Chinese signs.
Maxim Saprykin said another problem is cashless payment. International bank cards do not work in the Russian Federation. Chinese UnionPay is accepted only at Russian Standard and Gazprombank terminals. He added that the Chinese are moving away from plastic and using payment services like WePay for payments. The Ministry of Economic Development is discussing the possibility of merging the Mir payment system with the systems of friendly countries.
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