Both sides reviewed bilateral tourism cooperation since the tenth session of the meeting, and exchanged ideas on tourism publicity and promotion, visa exemption agreement implementation, travel safety and insurance, red tourism development and regional tourism cooperation.

Du Jiang(R), deputy director general of the China National Tourism Administration, and Gregory Sarishvil(L), deputy head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism.[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

"With the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, both sides have deepened their cooperation in tourism. The annual reciprocal tourism activity has brought bilateral tourism cooperation to a new level," said Du Jiang.

Russian officials will also attend the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting to be held in Macao on Sept 13 this year, according to Sarishvili.

Red tourism has become a new cooperation field, according to Du, who hoped that both sides can work together to have 1,000 Chinese tourists go to Russia to experience the local red tourism culture. Du said that the Chinese side had paid great attention to travel safety and proposes that tourism departments, associations and insurance companies on both sides can join hands to support the visa exemption mechanism.

"Tourism departments on both sides have developed pragmatic and effective cooperative relationships, and Russia is satisfied with the bilateral cooperation so far," said Gregory Sarishvili.