During the past New Year holidays, there was a surge of Russian tourists flocking to China and Europe, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Friday.

"11 percent more Russians went abroad compared to last year's winter holidays. Along with the growth of trips to China and other Asian countries, the number of visitors to European countries increased by 8.5 percent," said the report, citing data from a study made by the Russian telecom giant Megafon.

According to the study, Russian tourists were increasingly attracted to the Middle East. The number of visitors to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia increased by 17-20 percent respectively compared to the previous year. Kuwait had a remarkable growth in tourism, with 51 times more Russians visiting the country during the New Year holidays than the year before.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong