Visa-Free China Entry May Boost Russian Trips by 40%, Lobby Says

A Chinese decision to test visa-free entry for Russian citizens may boost tourism and business trips by 30% to 40%, according to a Russian lobby group.

“The visa factor has remained a limitation,” said Artur Muradyan, the vice president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, or ATOR, and head of the Moscow-based tourism company Space Travel. “Traveling there becomes just as accessible as to Turkey or the Middle East.”