"The long—awaited introduction of visa-free entry for Russians in September 2025 is an important historical moment for the entire tourism industry. This is not just an administrative relief, but a real driver for the rapid growth of tourist exchange. We expect China to move from the category of exotic destinations to the top 5 most popular foreign countries for Russians, competing with Turkey and Thailand. Removing visa barriers is a key factor that will reduce costs and simplify paperwork, especially for spontaneous trips and family trips," said Andrey Podkolzin, Head of the PR Department at ITM group.

According to him, the Russian tourism industry has long been prepared for the expected growth: new group and individual routes have been developed, partnerships with Chinese colleagues are being established, and guides are being actively trained.

"We predict not only an increase in the popularity of classical tourism — for example, to Beijing and Shanghai — but also the growth of new forms of recreation: gastronomic tours, eco-tourism, trips to major international exhibitions and business events. It is safe to say that 2025 will be the real "Year of China" for Russian travelers," the expert added.

"The cancellation of the visa regime is amazing news that will radically change the approach to tourism in China for Russians! Of course, the flow of tourists will increase significantly. Over the past two years, China has been actively gaining popularity among Russian tourists, and visa difficulties remained the only deterrent. Now, with the introduction of a visa-free regime, the flow of tourists to mainland China will increase rapidly and many times, especially given the rich airline network from different cities of Russia. However, there is no need to talk about reducing the cost of tours, given the peculiarities of the Chinese mentality," said a representative of the Spectrum company.

"China is an attractive destination for both beach and sightseeing holidays. One visit is not enough to fully get to know this country. Due to the affordable cost of flights and the variety of routes, the demand for tours to China after the visa cancellation is likely to grow significantly," Fun&Sun added.

Currently, Russia and China have an agreement on visa-free group trips, which are organized only through tour operators. Russians can also enter Hainan Island and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region without a visa. All other trips require a visa.

According to the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation, in 2024, almost 1.9 million Russian citizens entered China, of which more than a million are tourists.