Russia has announced plans to increase the number of visitors from China fourfold by 2030, outlining a comprehensive programme to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tourism. This is reported by the official website of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

The initiative was discussed during a meeting between Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov and Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli, alongside representatives of national tourism associations.

Russia pointed to geographical proximity, growing transport links and new infrastructure projects as key advantages for scaling up joint tourism initiatives. Among the highlights is the world’s first cross-border cable car, scheduled to open next year. The link between Heihe and Blagoveshchensk will carry up to 2.5 million passengers annually, with travel times measured in minutes.

Air connectivity is another focus: Russia has proposed expanding flights from China to 200 per week, including services from major southern cities where flight frequencies remain limited.

The two sides also discussed joint development of cross-border tourist routes, such as the historic Great Tea Road, as well as automotive tourism across Siberia and the Russian Far East.

A special catalogue of tailored travel products has already been created for the Chinese market, featuring destinations in the Khabarovsk Territory and several central Russian regions.

Photo: rarrarorro / iStock