Chinese shoppers currently rate Russia the top destination. At least this is what a report from the Xinhua news agency states and it seems that other countries have been left behind. According to the report, Russia is a sudden surprise this season, because it is the top destination for shoppers and tourists from China. The main reason is the low value of the Russian national currency, the ruble. Korea, Japan, United States and Thailand are not top priorities anymore.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti declared that, with the coming of winter, Russia has become a "paradise for shopping" to Chinese tourists, in the traditional ''dead'' winter season. China's ''Ctrip" travel agency has made calculations and it seems there was a drop of more than thirty percent in the prices of Russian goods. This has determined Guangzhou's Southern Metropolis Daily to see Russia as a dark horse for tourism.
Guangzhou's travel agencies have declared most of the tour packages for Russia in January full, according to Xinhua.
Guangzhou is the capital of the Guangdong province, situated in the southern part of China. Its inhabitants have never seen snow in their own city and they want to go to Russia for shopping and sightseeing. Products like mobile phones, cosmetics, shoes, and clothes were brought back home to Russia by its own citizens in the past, when they traveled to China. The Chinese can now buy these products while they are in Russia. As a result, Chinese tourists can save up to 650 dollars, which is the equivalent of four million yuan, if they arrange trips in the winter season.
The possible deals have determined Chinese tourists to come to Russia in large numbers since the ruble has begun to fall. The Far Eastern border and the European half of Russia are zones where the large numbers of tourists have been reported.
An exchange Chinese student has declared for Shanghai's China Business News that he almost feels at home, because he has never seen such a large number of Chinese individuals in Moscow. It seems that the tourists mostly bought luxury items for avoiding rapid import taxes. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier and Chanel were preferred.