Soccer fans make quick trips to Russia

Many Chinese soccer fans used the three-day Dragon Boat Festival to make a quick trip to Russia to catch a World Cup game.

Russia was one of the most popular travel destinations for Chinese tourists during the festival because of the tournament, according to a report by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday.

Since flight time to Russia is much shorter than to South Africa or Brazil - the host countries for the previous two World Cups - it became a popular way to spend a short vacation, said Xu Xiaolei, chief brand officer for China Youth Travel.