Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, north China - July 18, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of plane, ground staff working
2. Various of passengers walking, waving to camera, waiting in line
3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Russian tourist (name not given):
"It's wonderful to have a direct flight."
4. Various of passengers walking, lining up for security checks
5. Screen
6. Passengers passing security check
7. Various of passengers getting personal documents checked; staff working
8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Liu Dan, deputy director, Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, Beidaihe District, Qinhuangdao City (ending with shot 9):
"We have designed four themed travel itineraries tailored to the different travel preferences and needs of Russian visitors, with the goal of delivering a well-rounded and memorable experience from start to finish."
9. Various of passengers having identification checked; fingerprints scanned
10. Various of passengers getting personal documents checked; staff working
11. Screen
12. Various of passengers waiting in line, getting personal documents checked

North China's coastal city of Qinhuangdao, a hotspot destination to Russian tourists, has restored its flights connecting Russian cities after a six-year hiatus in a bid to boost tourism.

The air route's first airliner from Russia's Khabarovsk touched down on Saturday at Qinhuangdao's Beidaihe Airport, bringing 98 Russian visitors to the city.

"It's wonderful to have a direct flight," said a Russian tourist.

According to data from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) cited by Russia's Sputnik in early July, the share of Russian market sales for trips to China in July 2026 more than doubled year-on-year, rising from 2.1 percent to 4.3 percent. China's visa-free policy for Russian citizens continues to drive the surge, with outbound travel from Russia to China maintaining steady growth.

To meet the rising demand, Beidaihe Airport will roll out four more flight routes linking Irkutsk, Blagoveshchensk, Yakutsk, and Vladivostok, as part of its broader push to attract more international visitors.

"We have designed four themed travel itineraries tailored to the different travel preferences and needs of Russian visitors, with the goal of delivering a well-rounded and memorable experience from start to finish," said Liu Dan, deputy director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Beidaihe District.

The border inspection station in Qinhuangdao has also optimized its staffing and procedures. It opened Russian-language service windows and an online pre-declaration system combined with rapid on-site verification, significantly reducing waiting time for visa-exempt passengers. Meanwhile, customs authorities have rolled out smart gates and self-service facilities to enable seamless, touchless clearance.