Russians were given popular destinations for traveling to China

Russian tourists are showing a growing interest in China as a destination for their first trip to Asia, taking advantage of the visa-free regime extended until September 2026. According to analytical data from the OneTwoTrip travel planning service, which they shared with Izvestia on December 4, choosing a specific route becomes a key task for travelers due to the scale and diversity of the country.

"It is better to focus on one of the five main areas, each of which represents a separate segment of China's tourism potential. An important condition for travel from November 20, 2025 is the mandatory issuance of an electronic entry card through the portal of the Migration Service of China," the experts said.

Beijing remains the traditional cultural and historical destination. The capital attracts visitors to iconic sites: the Forbidden City architectural complex, the symbolic Gates of Heavenly Tranquility and the most accessible section of the Great Wall of China in the Mutianyu area. A direct flight from Moscow will cost 45 thousand rubles, and you will have to pay 5 thousand rubles for a night in a three-star hotel.

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What is the reason and how is this trend changing the business of hoteliers and tour operators?

For connoisseurs of beach holidays in winter, the best choice is Hainan Island, where the high tourist season lasts from November to April. The island's infrastructure includes the modern resort areas of Sanya, the elite Yalong Bay area and locations with Russian-speaking service. The cost of a direct flight from Moscow starts from 68 thousand rubles, accommodation in a three—star hotel starts from 3 thousand rubles per day.

The city of Xi'an is of interest for an in-depth study of historical heritage. The famous Terracotta Army, a large—scale archaeological complex of the 3rd century BC, remains the central object of the visit. Of additional value are the well-preserved Ming Dynasty city wall and the traditional Muslim quarter. Direct flights from Moscow are operated on Saturdays from 47 thousand rubles, the average cost of accommodation is 3 thousand rubles per night.

"Shanghai is positioned as a center of modern urban culture and technological development. The distinctive features of the metropolis are the skyscrapers of the Pudong business district, high—speed transport, including magnetoplanes, as well as the contrast with the historic Old City," the analysts noted.

Shopping streets like Nanjing Road and Shanghai Disneyland Theme Park are considered mandatory points of the program. A transfer flight will cost from 29 thousand rubles, accommodation — from 4 thousand rubles per day.

Chengdu area specializes in environmental and ecotourism, the main attraction of which is the Big panda Research Center. In addition to observing animals, tourists can explore the historical part of the city, which dates back more than two millennia. The cost of an airfare with transfers starts from 33 thousand rubles, accommodation in middle—class hotels is about 4 thousand rubles per day.

Before that, on November 27, it became known that Kolomna, near Moscow, was planning to introduce a tourist tax from January 1, 2026. The rate will be 2% of the tax base with funds going to the local budget. The funds are planned to be used for the development of tourist infrastructure, including the improvement of streets and parks, the restoration of monuments and the creation of comfortable areas for local residents and guests of Kolomna.

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