With surging number of international tourists, China to attract more foreign visitors

Thanks to China's visa-free transit policy, China has seen a surge in the number of international tourists during the eight-day Chinese New Year holiday.

The number of inbound tourists soared 150 percent year on year, setting a new historical record, revealed Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, at a press conference recently.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, 20.12 million inbound foreign trips were made visa-free in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 112.3 percent.

Dai Bin, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and president of the China Tourism Academy, said "over the past year, an increasing number of travelers from Belt and Road partner countries chose China as their destination, experiencing its modern development."

Photo shows South Korean tourists in Xintiandi, a landmark area of shopping, eating and entertainment in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 12, 2025. (China News Service/Tang Yanjun)

Wang Yu, a CPPCC National Committee member and chairman of Spring Airlines, is a witness to how this policy has boosted tourism. Take Spring Airlines as an example. Since China granted unilateral visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from South Korea in November 2024, ticket sales for China-South Korea routes in December 2024 increased by over 60 percent compared to the average from January to October. On flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Busan, South Korean passengers accounted for up to 80 percent of daily travelers.

Wang happily noted that foreign friends were often impressed by China's modern streetscapes, exciting events, and diverse cuisine.

Then how can China continue to attract more first-time foreign visitors? Dai emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with international organizations like UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council, and developing world-class tourist cities and routes to enhance China's appeal to international visitors.

Wang suggested that relevant departments further improve services for foreign tourists, such as mobile payments, online flight bookings, multilingual signs and restroom facilities.

Moreover, Dai noted that Chinese culture and lifestyle have become the core appeal for international tourists. Increasingly, they want to immerse themselves in local experiences, such as crafting pottery with young ceramic artists in Jingdezhen city, east China's Jiangxi Province.

Hu Xuemei, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and secretary of the Communist Party of China Jingdezhen Municipal Committee, shared that last year, the city drew crowds of international tourists by hosting creative markets. Particularly, over 800 artists from more than 50 countries and regions chose to live and create artworks here.

Jingdezhen will refine and implement 15 measures to boost inbound tourism this year, including improving services such as multilingual guides, airport shuttle lines, and payments. Zhang Jingjing, dean of the International School of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute and an NPC deputy, introduced that thanks to the visa-free policy, many international students bring their family members and friends to visit Jingdezhen during holidays, and suggested offering short-term ceramic experience courses.