Navigation signs duplicated in Russian have begun to appear en masse at the largest airports in China. The changes started after the introduction of a mutual visa-free regime between Russia and China, which led to a significant increase in the number of Russian tourists and business travelers.
According to tour operators and representatives of the aviation industry, passenger traffic from Russia to China increased at double-digit rates in the first months of the agreement. Regions with active cross-border cooperation, including Heihe, Harbin, Manchuria, as well as major air hubs in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, were among the first to adapt the infrastructure for Russian-speaking guests.
The new signs include Russian versions of the names of terminals, check-in areas, boarding gates, transfer areas, sanitary rooms and baggage claim areas. Industry representatives point out that navigation adaptation is part of a large—scale program to improve service for foreign tourists.
According to experts, such measures can reduce the burden on staff, speed up the movement of passengers inside terminals and increase the overall comfort level. Chinese airports have been developing multilingual navigation for several years, but it is Russian that has become one of the most in demand in 2025.
The growing interest in China among Russian tourists is explained by the expansion of visa-free travel, the restoration of direct flights, lower ticket prices and the renewal of tourist infrastructure. An additional factor has been the active development of event and business tourism: exhibitions, international forums, trade fairs and educational programs increasingly welcome guests from Russia.
Experts expect that by 2026, Russian-language navigation will be implemented at all major airports in China, as well as in key tourist areas. This is in line with China's overall strategy to increase the flow of tourists and strengthen humanitarian and economic ties between the two countries.
