Tourism industry in China has seen its best year since Covid-19 (Photo: CNTO)
Thanks to a flurry of policy changes on visas for foreign visitors, China is experiencing a boom as a destination for travellers from around the world.
According to a report by Xinhua, Chinese State-owned news agency, China received a total of 29.2 million foreign visitors in the period from January 1-November 30, 2024, registering a growth of 86.2 pc compared to the same period in the year 2023.
According to Chinese government, the dramatic rise in visitors in 2024 can be directly attributed to the moves to liberalise visa regime for foreign tourists coming to China. It says that China has expanded unilateral visa-free access for travellers from 38 countries, allowing stays of up to 30 days. It says that 60 pc the visitors to China in 2024 had benefitted from the expanded visa-waiver programme.
In the latest policy update announced on December 17, 2024, China introduced more ports for visa-free transit. Moreover, travellers can now hop between multiple destinations within a single itinerary. Reports cite experts as saying that these changes in visa regimes were the largest visa liberalisation since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Reports say that not only in inbound travel into China rising sharply thanks to simpler visa norms, but the outbound travel by Chinese citizens has also risen sharply, again mainly due to easier visa norms for Chinese citizens in many destinations. China has mutual comprehensive visa exemption arrangements with 26 countries, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The report adds that outbound tourism in China is rapidly recovering in 2024. The rising interest in overseas travel among residents from smaller cities, in particular, signals both their growing spending power and the potential of the Chinese market.
While short-haul destinations in Southeast and East Asia remain popular, Chinese travellers are venturing further afield, from hiking Tasman Glacier in New Zealand to driving through Namibia’s wild landscapes, and wandering Hungary’s Castle Hill.
Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Academy, was cited by Xinhua as saying that Chinese travellers today are more willing to pay for quality experiences, as they favor nicer hotels, finer cuisine, museums, art galleries, and the charm of small, heartwarming moments on their trips abroad. The UN Tourism Organisation reports China reclaimed its position as the top spender on international travel in 2023.