Chinese nationals will be entitled to visa-free entry to Russia
starting August this year, a senior Russian tourist official said
yesterday in Beijing, as long as they go in an approved and
accompanied tour group.
Ivan Vvedenski, special counselor of the Federal Agency for
Tourism, said that one million Chinese are expected to visit Russia
in 2006.
So far, 672 Chinese tourist agencies have been approved to
organize tourist groups there to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk,
Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk, Chita and Vladivostok.
The Russian National Tourism Office's Visa Free Association,
founded in 2003, will receive the Chinese tourist groups.
The Russian Military Insurance Company will provide travel cover
and a Chinese language hotline will provide them with help and
advice while there.
The total number of tourists between the two countries increased
by 30 percent last year, most of whom were Russians traveling to
China.
(China.org.cn June 25, 2005)