(Yicai Global) Nov. 27 -- China and Russia are considering relaxing the visa-free entry criteria and increasing the stay duration limits for tourist groups to attract more tourists, and both governments will scale up cooperation in tourism, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The total number of Chinese tourists visiting Russia and Russian travelers going to China hit three million last year, while about 840,000 Chinese people traveled in Russia visa-free during the first nine months of this year, up 24 percent annually, statistics show.

The two governments are planning to lower the minimum requirement for the size of tourist groups eligible for visa-free entry from five people to three people, and to increase the stay duration limit from 15 days to 21 days. The Russian government offers streamlined electronic visa application services for foreign visitors to Vladivostok in its Far East region, the report noted.

Chinese tourists spend about USD2.2 billion in Russia each year, thus helping to attract investment to improve local infrastructure, said Safonov Oleg Petrovich, head of Russia's Federal Agency for Tourism. Further, the increase in Chinese tourist numbers has stimulated business development, employment and self-employment in more than 50 related industries, benefiting local tourist product manufacturers, other local businesses and exporters.

More than 10 Russian cities have introduced 'China friendship' campaigns to encourage hotels, restaurants, museums, shopping centers, airports and rail stations to hire Chinese-speaking staff and offer Chinese food, menus and flight information services.