China's cultural charm, ease of travel attract global tourists

Tourists from Italy pose for a group photo after practicing Tai Chi at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, July 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Earlier in July, a British family of five concluded their three-month tour of China. Describing the journey as "epic," they shared their treasured moments through videos with people around the world, garnering numerous "likes" on social media.

In the videos, the parents and their three young girls were seen devouring local cuisines and visiting world cultural heritage sites like the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Forbidden City.

Lately, foreign tourists are more easily spotted across China, whether in metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou or in less renowned regions like Hunan and Jiangxi.

The Hutchinsons were among the over 14.6 million foreigners who visited the country in the first half of this year. Official data showed a 152.7 percent increase in that number compared to the same period in 2023.

Over 60 percent of respondents consider experiencing Chinese culture as the main goal of their travel to China, according to a survey on inbound tourist satisfaction by the China Tourism Academy.

In the family's final vlog from China, Tamira Hutchinson, the mother, expressed her admiration for the country's diverse culture and her joy that her children could gain a deeper understanding of both China and the world through their travels.

Having lived in China for 20 years, Brian Linden from the United States calls himself a fan of Chinese culture and has dedicated his career to fostering cultural exchanges between China and the world.

He runs a hotel in southwest China's Yunnan Province that collaborates with several American schools for study tours. He believes that tourism serves as a key channel for people from different countries to interact and understand each other.

"What we gain are not just photos but friends," said Enrico Radrizzani, head of the Italian travel agency La Compagnia del Relax, who has been involved in the tourism industry for over 40 years. He said that Italian tourists enjoy spending time visiting ancient sites and museums and experiencing Chinese folk customs.

With easier entry policies, including a 144-hour visa-free transit policy that expanded to 37 entry ports as of Monday and pilot visa-free policies for some countries, "on-a-whim travel" to China is becoming a reality.

In the meantime, measures have been introduced to simplify offline and online payment and ticket booking at tourist sites for international visitors to ensure a pleasant travel experience.

German tourist Ken Abroad said that he noticed a significant improvement during his recent trip to Guangdong Province compared to last year. He found it much easier to link his bank card to a mobile payment app, allowing for quick booking of train tickets and easy access to subways.

To facilitate access, most scenic spots now provide offline ticketing services for foreign tourists. Wu Kefeng, a senior official at China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that measures such as English interfaces for online bookings and recognition of foreign passports as valid identification are being implemented across Chinese tourist sites.

However, there is still room for improvement in delivering high-quality tourism experiences to foreign visitors.

During his visit to Gansu Province's Dunhuang City in early July, Javier Garcia from Spain was captivated by the millennium-old cave art in the Mogao Grottoes and the exquisite relics at the Dunhuang Museum. However, he expressed disappointment with the lack of adequate signage and guide services in foreign languages.

"Enhancing foreign language services would definitely help people from around the world better appreciate and understand Dunhuang's culture and history," Garcia said.