About 200 000 Chinese tourists come to Russia annually. To attract even more visitors from China, visa free travel to Russia has been arranged for its citizens.

A tourist must have a valid passport and register at a travel agency approved by the Russian Tourism Bureau. This will save him $50 of visa application fee and 7 days of visa processing. The average tour cost has also gone down to approximately $1000.

It is advised though to be careful with choosing a travel agency. “Before registering for a tour to Russia without a visa, travellers should make sure that the agency is qualified to offer this kind of tour. This is very important,” said Zhao Dexiang, China International Travel Service.

Source: http://english.cctv.com/

Related: http://www.russia.com/ , http://www.direct-visas.co.uk/