China and Russia to deepen cooperation on tourism

Authorities from both China and Russia have revealed plans to increase cooperation in tourism.

General view of St. Basil's Cathedral in the red square on June 22, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. [Photo: VCG]

Russia attracts millions of Chinese tourists every year.

Yan Xiao is the public affairs manager at China's largest online travel agency Ctrip.

She says older Chinese tourists remain interested in Russian 'Red Tourism.'

"In Moscow, tourists can see Soviet-era architecture. They can also pay tribute to Lenin Mausoleum at Red Square. Travelers can go to Lenin's former residence and Lenin square in Ulyanovsk. In Saint Petersburg, they can see Aurora Cruiser, where the first shot of the October Revolution was fired. It attracted tourists from China and other parts of the world."

China's younger generations are more attracted by Russia's natural resources, including ice and snow, as well as the aurora borealis.

Wang Xiaoyi from Shenzhen went to a northern Russian village on the shores of the Arctic Ocean together with some of her friends.

There she was able to see the aurora borealis for the first time in her life.

"We went there to see the aurora. And suddenly it appeared. We can see it clearly with our eyes. It's very huge and was fluid. We were so excited and kept taking photos for a long time."

Various activities such as the 'Year of Tourism' have been held in recent years to promote cooperation in tourism between China and Russia.

Both sides have also taken steps to make it easier for each other to get visas.

Tihnenko Aleksey with the Moscow Tourism Bureau says steps have been taken in the Russian capital to accommodate Chinese tourists.

"We build some infrastructure specifically for Chinese tourists. We also provide pamphlets named 'Chinese friends', which contains information about stores, restaurants, hotels and museums in Moscow. We are learning about Chinese culture and their interest. We are also learning how to communicate with them in a better way."

Chinese and Russian cooperation in tourism has been expanding in recent years.

The exchanges and communication have expanded from national-level to city-level, with a number of secondary cities now involved as well.

Li Jiangang with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism says the tourism cooperation between China and Russia has a bright future.

"We will work to create a more favorable tourism environment. We will continue to deepen connection and facilitation. We will also strengthen cooperation and communication on infrastructure and service standards. We will encourage market entities and commercial institutions get involved in China-Russia cooperation on tourism."

China is Russia's largest source of tourists, with data showing more than 2 million people from China obtained a Russian tourism visa last year.

Over 2.4 million tourists from Russia also made their way into China last year.