On 22 November 2013, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council sent a congratulatory message to the closing ceremony of the Tourism Year of China held in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Li Keqiang in the message first expressed warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of the Tourism Year on behalf of the Chinese government. Li Keqiang said that holding the Tourism Year in each other's country is an important national-level theme year activity organized by China and Russia and it is a major measure taken by the two countries to focus on promoting China-Russia friendship for generations and pushing for long-term development of bilateral relations. The success of China-Russia Tourism Year has further enhanced mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the people of the two countries and driven the development of tourism industries of the two countries. Tourism cooperation has become a new highlight of China-Russia practical cooperation and played a positive role in promoting the two countries' respective development. China and Russia holding the Tourism Year in each other's country has as well exerted extensive, positive impact in the international arena. Hope both sides will, taking the successful holding of the Tourism Year in each other's country as a new starting point, fully expand cooperation in the field of tourism so as to make new contributions to jointly uplifting the development levels of the two countries and the living standards of the two peoples. We warmly invite more friends from Russia to travel to China and believe there will be more and more Chinese tourists traveling to Russia.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also sent a congratulatory message, expressing that Russia-China relations are experiencing the most brilliant period of development, which is a golden age for deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and developing people-to-people and cultural cooperation. Holding the Tourism Year in each other's country has promoted direct exchanges between the two peoples. Although the Tourism Year is concluded today, it is believed that the hearts of the two peoples will forever be open to each other.