OREANDA-NEWS  The demand for obtaining a visa in the visa centers of China in Russia has become hype, all free slots for submitting applications have ended in just two days. 

"All available slots for obtaining a visa to China were selected by applicants two days after the resumption of full-fledged work of the country's visa centers in the Russian Federation. As of March 17, the nearest free date for submitting documents in Moscow is May 23, in St. Petersburg — April 20," said Yulia Otvagina, deputy head of the visa and migration Department of Continent Express.

Market participants added that the greatest demand among Russians was caused by business visas. It is likely that many representatives of Russian companies are going to attend the Canton Fair, which takes place in Guangzhou on April 15 — May 5. Representatives of the construction, mining, and manufacturing sectors apply for business visas. There is also a high demand from IT companies.

Analysts considered that if the issue with visa-free groups is resolved by May, the tourist flow to China may increase by 40% from the level that was before the coronavirus pandemic. However, further growth is still being held back due to limited air traffic, since Russia has only 180 aircraft that can fly without double registration.

At the end of February, the Ministry of Transport of Russia announced that the number of flights with China this year will multiply, which will be associated with the lifting of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the restoration of visa-free travel for groups of tourists.