Russia has registered a total of 218,000 foreign tourists for tourism purposes from the first month of this year until March.
The data provided by the Russian Border Service revealed that a significant number of these tourists were Chinese citizens, or as many as 99,000. In addition, the second place in terms of tourist flow in the first quarter of 2024 was taken by Turkmenistan with 15,900 tourists, VisaGuide.World reports.
Tourist Flow From China to Russia Reached Figures Forecast by Tourist Operators
According to the same source, the flow of tourists to Russia is showing a positive trend after the restoration of the visa-free regime for tourist groups from China, and the introduction of an electronic visa.
The tour operator’s prediction is also coming true, as they previously said that for this year, there will be 3-4 times more foreign tourists in Russia than in 2023.
In the first quarter of last year, 67,700 foreign citizens were registered in Russia, which represents a figure three times smaller compared to 2024. Meanwhile, during the same period of 2019, the flow of tourists was twice as high as this year (470,000). At the same time, 163,400 Chinese citizens visited Russia.
In third place in terms of inbound tourist flows to Russia in the first quarter of 2024 is Türkiye (12,500). However, there is also a classic tourist flow from this country, and its growth will be facilitated, among other things, by the introduction of an electronic visa. Let us recall that in the first quarter of 2019, Turkish citizens made 9,900 thousand tourist visits to Russia.
The forecast of tour operators has further revealed that in the summer season of 2024, tourists from mainland China and Hong Kong, Middle Eastern countries (United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran), India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bulgaria will visit Russia.
3.8 Million Foreigners Visited Russia in First Quarter of 2024
Moreover, foreigners who visited Russia for all purposes of visit in the first quarter of 2024 registered a total of 3.8 million. This is almost twice less than in the first quarter of 2019 (6.4 million) but more than 500,000 more than in the first quarter of 2023.
As the data of the Russian Border Service show, the largest number of visits to Russia from January to March were made by the countries as follows:
- Uzbekistan (915,600)
- Kazakhstan (674,200)
- Tajikistan (545,400)
- China (286,200)
- Kyrgyzstan (270,000)
- Abkhazia (172,400)
- Armenia (137,000)
- Azerbaijan (116,000)
- Belarus (81,300)
- Mongolia (80,000)