St. Petersburg's largest caviar bar, Caviar Russia, received China Friendly certification in October 2017 and accepts cards from China's UnionPay payment system. The new programme member is known for refined black-caviar dishes created by leading Russian chefs and offers authentic black caviar in the city's largest specialist store.
Caviar Russia was founded by Russian caviar-business experts to develop a legal market and promote a culture of black-caviar consumption. The bar and store offer caviar from fish raised by Russian aquaculture producers and partner with WWF on sustainable fisheries and responsible fish-product markets.
China Friendly programme director Anna Sibirkina says: “In the first week of October alone — China's Golden Week holiday — 20,000 Chinese tourists visited Moscow and St. Petersburg through visa-free group exchanges. Service quality has become a key concern when welcoming Chinese guests. Knowing their love of shopping, we particularly highlight stores offering high-quality goods, free from counterfeits and unjustified price mark-ups.”
According to preliminary Federal Fisheries Agency data, Russian black-caviar production increased by 3.5% in 2016 to 44 tonnes.
China Friendly aims to ensure that Chinese visitors, whether travelling independently or in organised groups, can trust the quality of products and services, including those reflecting Russia's national character.
According to the World Without Borders tourism association, more than 311,000 Chinese tourists visited Russia through visa-free exchanges in the first half of 2017. The association notes that visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg on the same trip remains among the most popular itineraries.