MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – In the first six months of 2026, Russia welcomed 2.5 million foreign tourists, marking a 20.1% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. China continued to be the leading source market, contributing over 22% of all foreign visitors. These recent statistics highlight the expanding trend of inbound tourism in Russia during January through June. Nikita Kondratiev, a senior official at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, shared these tourism figures at meetings held in Shenyang, China.
The figures are based on official tourism data that track foreign visitors using collective accommodation facilities across Russia. Rosstat data also revealed that Russians completed 43.2 million domestic trips during the first half of 2026. This was a 4.3% rise from the same period in 2025. As a result, inbound tourism grew at a faster annual rate than domestic tourism, according to the separate official metrics used for each category.
China maintained the largest share of Russia’s foreign visitor market during the first half. Tourists from Persian Gulf countries, Turkey, and India followed as other significant source markets. Foreign travelers also visited locations beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, including Murmansk, Vladivostok, and Kazan. Russian officials have also reported direct international air connections to 34 destinations, linking several Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
China Continues to Lead Russia’s International Visitor Numbers
These recent tourism figures were presented during a Tourism Council meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative in Shenyang. Attendees also participated in a seminar focused on inbound tourism across Northeast Asia. Discussions involved cross-border travel projects between Russia, China, and Mongolia. One project under development is the historic Great Tea Road tourism route. It has now entered the implementation phase and is planned to include around 20 Russian regions.
The Russian segment of the Great Tea Road will stretch from the Far East and Siberia through the Urals and Volga region, continuing toward Moscow and St. Petersburg. Additional tourism initiatives discussed included connections between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe, as well as tourism development initiatives around Vladivostok. The delegates also addressed the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Lake Baikal region, and scientific tourism linked to the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Visa-Free Arrangements Between Russia and China Continue to Grow
Travel regulations between Russia and China have been modified as their visitor numbers increase. Russia has extended visa-free entry for eligible Chinese citizens through Dec. 31, 2027. Similarly, China has prolonged its visa-free policy for Russian citizens until the same date. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that ordinary Russian passport holders can visit without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, and transit.
The first-half tourism data reflect a broader trend of increasing cross-border travel between the two nations. Chinese official figures indicated that 154,200 Chinese tourists traveled to Russia in the first quarter of 2026, a 44% rise year on year. Russia ranked second among China’s inbound visitor countries during the same period. These updated figures position China at the top of Russia’s foreign tourism market, accounting for more than one-fifth of international visitors recorded.