At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Nikita Kondratyev, director of the Russian Economic Development Ministry’s department for multilateral economic cooperation, announced that the mutual tourist flow between Russia and China is projected to reach 4-4.5 million trips in 2026, marking a 60% increase from the previous year. This surge is attributed to a 25% increase in Chinese tourists visiting Russia and a 60% rise in Russian tourists traveling to China. Following the summer season, Kondratyev expects a 40-45% year-on-year growth in Chinese tourist traffic to Russia. The increase in flights is notable, with 30-40 additional flights added in early 2026 compared to late 2025, enhancing connectivity between major cities in Siberia, the Russian Far East, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. Additionally, the suspension of tours to Middle Eastern countries has led many Russians to consider China, which offers competitively priced tourism products and high service standards, making it an attractive alternative to destinations like Thailand and Turkey where prices are rising sharply.