'China travel' continues to heat up as impact of visa-free policies grows

With China relaxing and optimizing its visa-free policies and introducing measures to facilitate foreign travelers, "China travel" has become a top choice for many international tourists.

According to the latest data from the National Immigration Administration of China, in 2024, immigration authorities nationwide handled 610 million border crossings, a year-on-year increase of 43.9 percent.

Among them, 291 million border crossings are made by Chinese mainland residents, 254 million by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents, as well as 64.88 million by foreign nationals. These three figures went up by 41.3 percent, 38.8 percent and 82.9 percent, respectively, compared to 2023. Nearly 20.12 million inbound trips by foreigners were made visa-free last year, a year-on-year increase of 112.3 percent.

Foreign tourists pose for a picture in the Yuyuan Garden Mall in Shanghai, Aug. 2, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Wang Gang)

This ease of travel has opened new windows and channels for the world to understand China, showcasing a true, diverse, and vibrant image of the country.

Recently, "Travel to China after work on Friday" became a trending topic on South Korean social media. Data from South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport showed a significant increase in South Korean tourists traveling to China since China implemented a visa-free policy for South Korea on Nov. 8, 2024. In that month, 993,400 South Korean tourist visits were made to China, up 47 percent from the same period in 2023.

Since the end of 2023, China's visa-free "circle of friends" has been steadily expanding. To date, China has implemented a complete mutual visa exemption with 26 countries. It has issued a unilateral visa-free policy for 38 countries, a visa-free transit policy for 54 countries, and reached mutual visa-free agreements with 157 countries and regions.

On Dec. 17 last year, China comprehensively relaxed its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the previous 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours and increasing the number of ports designated for visa-free entry and exit to 60. Foreign nationals entering China through the visa-free transit policy can make cross-province travels within allowed areas in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Visa-free policies are increasingly taking effect, further boosting the popularity of "China travel." Within half an hour of China's visa-free policy announcement for Poland in June 2024, searches for related keywords by Polish users on Trip.com increased by 40 percent from a day ago.

A resident in Warsaw named Milena, who loves Chinese culture, immediately decided to visit China. After spending 10 days exploring places like Zhangjiajie, she was deeply impressed. "It was incredible! I hope my friends can see China's landscapes with their own eyes."

Tourists from the Netherlands join a lantern fair in an ancient village in Huizhou district, Huangshan, east China's Anhui province, Dec. 26, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yalei)

Belgian tourists Patrick, Luc, and Ingrid recently returned from a trip to China. "Waking up on the train's sleeper to the stunning views of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau was amazing," one of them said. "The more you explore China, the more you feel its charm. One visit isn't enough, we're eager to come back and learn more about Chinese culture."

Not long ago, Juergen Kremer, a German who speaks fluent Chinese, embarked on a trip to China. As the chief commercial officer of Shanghai China International Travel Service Ltd., Frankfurt Office, he went to China to develop hiking routes there for German tourists and participate in the China International Travel Mart.

"Our China routes are very popular, with many products selling out quickly upon launch," Kremer noted. According to him, besides traditional routes, newly developed ones like those to the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges are also in high demand. The number of tourists to China the company received in 2024 has returned to the levels of 2019, and is expected to keep growing in 2025.

The surge in "China travel" has also driven growth in the aviation transport market. Daniel Lee, CEO of Malaysia's travel service provider Gofay Airways, stated that with the growing enthusiasm for cross-border travel between Malaysia and China, the aviation sector has seen continuous growth. Recently, 18 new direct flight routes have been launched between the two countries, covering multiple cities, better meeting the needs of tourists.

As the adage goes, seeing is believing. Inbound tourism is a crucial way for international tourists to understand China. Zeng Bowei, director of China Tourism Economy and Policy Research Center of Beijing Union University, said the visa-free policies not only boost inbound tourism but also send a strong signal of China's opening up. As the effects of these policies unfold, more foreign tourists are expected to visit China, he noted.

An article published on The Independent Singapore believes that China's expansion of visa-free policies has broader implications for global tourism. By actively providing more convenient entry and exit services for international tourists, China helps reduce travel barriers, rapidly grows its tourism industry, and encourages other countries to adopt similar policies, making global travel more convenient and fostering international economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, ultimately promoting global connectivity.