Chinese Tourism: Irkutsk at a Glance

Abstract

The article deals with the problems of Russian-Chinese cooperation in tourism area in Irkutsk. It considers specific examples that influenced the transformation of the appearance of the main streets and urban space of Irkutsk. The authors conclude that the inflow of tourists from China creates several opportunities and challenges for the regional center economy and space. The current situation with COVID-19 and the subsequent outflow of Chinese entrepreneurs can benefit the city’s tourism sector. So called “gray” (or partially legal) business, which is based on the economy of Chinese tourism, is fading into the background and the current situation gives the city and regional authorities an opportunity to take action to solve the problem.