Nikitin reported an increase in passenger traffic between Russia and China by one and a half times

According to the results of the first quarter of this year, the volume of passenger traffic between Russia and China increased almost one and a half times, thanks to the visa-free entry regime. This was announced by the Minister of Transport of Russia Andrey Nikitin.

"The abolition of visa restrictions is always a growth point. As in the case of China: after the decision on this, we saw an increase in passenger traffic from 20% to 40%, depending on the route," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti on the eve of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

He added that by the end of the first quarter of 2026, the overall increase in tourist trips was 46%.

Go beyond borders: Russia and China are interested in extending visa-free travel

Moscow will prepare proposals to Beijing in the second quarter of this year.

Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov announced on May 20 that the number of flights between Russia and China will continue to increase amid strengthening business and humanitarian ties. According to the minister, the decision to extend the visa-free regime with China will give an impetus to the development of tourism, job creation and the growth of non-primary exports of services.

On May 20, at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Russian president said that Russia and China would continue the practice of visa-free travel for citizens of the two countries. According to him, this decision has become an additional incentive for increasing humanitarian contacts between the parties.