Flights to China became more expensive for the Russians because of the high demand for travel to Russia from the Chinese

Tour operators say about the decline in demand for tours to China among Russians due to the increasing value of the dollar and the increasing costs of air transportation, the press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Irina Turina said to Interfax on Wednesday.

"Tour operators have already begun sales of traditional tours for autumn, period from October to December. Such programs are usually booked in the summer months, Russians mostly visit Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. However, demand for sightseeing tours in this year decreased by 30-40% compared with the last year," Irina Tyurina said with reference to the tour operators.

Tour operators explain, that the ruble value of a standard 7-night-tour to Beijing has grown almost twice, even though the dollar price remained, like last year, about $ 1.1 thousand. Air transportation also became more expensive: prices for flights to Beijing, where all sightseeing tours start, did not drop below 35-45 thousand rubles this summer. The increased cost of air transportation is also connected with the growing popularity of Russia among Chinese tourists who book in advance all the seats on the flights.

"Russia due to favorable exchange rate of the yuan against the ruble has become very cheap destination. Even though there are a lot of flights, there are almost no places to find, and that is the reason for a higher price. We look forward to September when the number of tourists from China will fall down and flights get cheaper," the General Director of China Tour & Business Travel Sergei Jan Sha.

Tour operators say that the Russians began to choose cheaper tours to China. However, according to Irina Tyurina, China remains one of popular destinations for Russians. Tour operators note small increase in wellness tours, and not falling demand for business travel.

According to the Federal Tourism Agency, in 2014 China was visited by 766 thousand Russians and takes the 7th place in popularity among Russian travelers.