100,000 Chinese soccer fans expected to go to Russia

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In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, GZL International Travel Service is one of the city's largest travel agencies. They say they’ve been planning for the 2018 FIFA World Cup since January, and is now organizing some 50 trips to Russia for the event.

One of the flyers about World Cup tourism at the travel agency /CGTN Photo

Kuang Xinyi, GZL's spokesperson, told CGTN that more than 1,000 people are going on their tours, which includes two World Cup games, such as a combo of semifinal and final matches, and a tour of Russia, including destinations like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Kuang says most of their World Cup trips are 8 to 10 days long, costing between 60,000 to 100,000 yuan, depending on the hotel, game and seat in the stadium.

He also states that 60 percent of their clients are couples traveling together, aged between 35 and 55. Though costing six times as much as usual, she says these trips to Russia sold out within days after the spots were opened.

“Sports tourism is a growing market. Compared to the last World Cup, which was held in Brazil, Russia is more travel-friendly for Chinese customers, with shorter flight time, an easier commute and less time difference. Plus, sightseeing wise, it has a lot to offer, and the World Cup is the prime time to visit Russia, which usually runs from June to September,” says Kuang.

Besides going with a tour, soccer fans also have the option to make their own itinerary, in which case the travel agency solely arranges flights, accommodations, and tickets to the Cup for the travelers.

Package tours for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia /Website screenshot

Another reason to pay for a trip to Russia is that the country has made it visa-free for football fans traveling before and during the World Cup. With such a policy in place, this year's World Cup looks set to attract a large number of enthusiastic Chinese fans.

So far, FIFA has confirmed that 2.4 million tickets have already been sold worldwide. Chinese soccer fans have bought over 40,000, putting it on the top ten list. It was previously reported that as many as 100,000 Chinese tourists are expected to head to Russia to enjoy the Cup.

Such popularity has driven up the price. According to data from China's largest online travel agency, Ctrip, hotel bookings in the host city have soared more than tenfold compared with the same period last year.

The prices of some hotels in Moscow, where the final will be held, have soared by as much as 200 percent compared with their usual prices. And China’s southern Airlines told CGTN that flights from Guangzhou to Moscow are fully booked for the coming days.

For the fourth straight World Cup, China’s team failed to qualify. But that’s not stopping Chinese fans from flying to Russia and enjoying the action. As much as they like the grand event, one question lingers: When will they have the chance to cheer for their own team on the World Cup stage again?