Tongcheng Travel: Visa-free landing in Russia for Chinese citizens is expected to be popular for outbound travel this winter

On December 1, according to an order signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day, from now until September 14, 2026 (inclusive), Chinese citizens can travel to Russia without a visa for tourist or business purposes. The number of visa-free days is 30 days. This will further facilitate the travel of Chinese tourists to Russia this winter, and also facilitate business trips to Russia. According to data from the Tongcheng travel platform, since November, the number of air ticket searches from China to Russia has continued to rise, and the popularity of hotel reservations with Russia as the main destination has increased by more than 40% over the same period last year. Half an hour after the visa-free news was released on December 1, the number of searches related to Russia more than doubled. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Harbin were the top five cities in search volume.

The Tongcheng Research Institute said that the implementation of the visa-free policy coincides with the beginning of the peak season for outbound snow and ice tours. It is expected that at important points such as New Year's Day and Spring Festival, the popularity of tourism in Russia is expected to reach a new high in the same period in recent years. Furthermore, under the favorable situation of mutual visa exemption between China and Russia, inbound and outbound travel at border crossings between China and Russia, such as Heilongjiang, will usher in a stage of explosive growth. With the visa-free policy, in addition to being able to experience ice and snow cultural tourism products in Harbin and the Mohe River, domestic tourists can also enter Russia to experience exotic scenery, and the appeal of snow and ice tours in Heilongjiang will be further enhanced.

According to reports, winter snow and ice tours in Russia are very interesting, and in recent years they have become a new favorite among young Chinese tourists. In a country spanning most of the Arctic Circle, visitors can chase the auroras in Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, and Naryan-Mar. They can also experience niche experiences such as riding a snowmobile, chasing whales in the Arctic Ocean, meeting reindeer, and swings at the end of the world.

According to Tongcheng Travel's international ticket data, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Chengdu, Changchun, Harbin, and Changsha are the most popular cities. Furthermore, the cities with the highest month-on-month increase in booking popularity are Nanjing, Shenzhen, Changsha, Urumqi, and Fuzhou. According to the air ticket price trend, as of February next year, domestic air ticket prices to major Russian cities are relatively stable, showing a gradual slight increase, and reaching a small high point around the Spring Festival.

On the Tongcheng Travel platform, special offers for the snow and ice season are being launched. You can receive up to 600 yuan Northeast red envelopes, 1,500 yuan European red envelopes, etc. Russia, Norway, Finland, and Iceland are all popular destinations for outbound snow play. “9 Days 7 Nights St. Petersburg+Moscow+Russia+Shechen+Hermitage Palace+Summer Palace Garden Tour”, “9 Days 7 Nights Murmansk+Moscow+St. Peter+Sami Village+Chasing the Lights Tour+Moorman Group Tour”, “8 Days 6 Nights · Spring Festival Hot Sale Visa-Free Russia Moscow+Ermansk Twin Cities 4 Flies 8 Days 3 Times” are all popular routes. The popular tours mainly focus on January and February next year. Compared to other Nordic countries' aurora routes, Russia's cost performance ratio is particularly outstanding, and the cost can be as low as half or more.