Global Times: China's visa-free policy boosts inbound tourism, facilitates exchanges one year on

BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- One year ago, China started implementing a landmark trial policy, offering unilateral visa exemptions for more countries, among a variety of measures to welcome international visitors. Data from various entry-exit stations across China indicate a significant increase in international arrivals since the policy was adopted last year.
On December 1, 2023, China began implementing unilateral visa-free entry trials for ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. The policies were later expanded several times to more countries.
Since the end of last year, China has implemented visa exemption policies for 38 countries. The easing of visa policies has facilitated travel to China and enhanced international exchange as foreign visitors are flocking to China to explore business and experience the country's rich history and attractive views.
Mohan's entry-exit frontier inspection station on the China-Laos border reported over 5,500 tourist entries and exits from the above mentioned six countries this year as of Saturday, representing a year-on-year increase of 294.28 percent. Among these, 2,300 were visa-free arrivals, making up 77.24 percent of total arrivals.
Malaysia, France and Germany topped the list of nationalities, with tourism and family visits cited as the primary reasons for travel, according to the inspection station.
The entry-exit border inspection station in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, announced on Sunday that it has seen over 300,000 foreign arrivals through the port so far this year, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 84.8 percent. Notably, more than 94,000 of these arrivals were visa-free entrants, accounting for over 31.3 percent of all foreign arrivals - a growth of more than 15 times compared with the previous year.
In Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, over 480,000 foreign arrivals were recorded through the Shenzhen airport as of Friday this year, marking a 123 percent increase. More than 180,000 of these visitors benefited from the visa-free policy - six times more than last year's figures. Travelers from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Germany were the most represented nationalities.
As of Saturday, the number of travelers entering and exiting through Shanghai's Pudong International Airport has more than doubled compared with the previous year, with nearly 29 million trips recorded, including over 9 million trips made by foreign travelers. This represents a year-on-year increase of 100 percent and 170 percent, respectively.
Since November, ports in Beijing have averaged over 7,000 foreign arrivals daily, with 43 percent of these entrants coming visa-free.
The surge in foreign tourist arrivals came after Chinese authorities have been expanding the scope of the nation's visa-free policy.
In a latest development, China has decided to expand its visa-free arrangement to include nine more countries, applying to ordinary passport holders from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on November 22.
In addition, Lin said China has decided to further optimize its visa-free policy, and will include exchanges and visit purposes into the visa-free entry scope, and extend the period of visa-free stays allowed from the current 15 days to 30 days.
Starting from November 30, 2024, ordinary passport holders from the 38 countries within its visa-free arrangement, including the aforementioned newly added nine countries, can enter China without a need to apply for a visa for the purposes of business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and visits and transit, with stays of no more than 30 days, Lin added.
"The implementation of visa-free policies has significantly boosted the inbound tourism market, further demonstrating that China's doors to the world are opening wider," Jiang Yiyi, a vice president of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Through traveling in China, international visitors can genuinely experience China's development, witness not only the country's natural landscapes and historical culture but also personally engage with its modern achievements. This approach allows for a more concrete, comprehensive, and in-depth understanding of China on the global stage, Jiang said.
China Travel booms
As China's visa-free travel policy continues to expand and facilitate easier exchanges between people, the allure of "China Travel" becomes stronger.
Francisco Lopez, a tourist from Spain, shared his experiences with the Global Times on Sunday, highlighting the ease of his trip to China made possible by the country's visa-free policy and other supporting measures.
During this trip, he visited Beijing, Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Guilin in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Shanghai. Among these destinations, Guilin stood out as his favorite due to its stunning natural beauty. "We rented bikes and explored the countryside, which was enjoyable," he said. "This trip helped me understand Chinese culture and history better.''
Lopez decided to visit China after his mother traveled here in June. "The visa-free policy is very good and convenient for us. A lot of people were taking photos with us. It was nice," he said.
During his trip Lopez also experienced the convenience of China's e-payment system. "We didn't have cash and didn't exchange any money. We used Alipay everywhere, and it worked perfectly," he said.
To meet the needs of foreign tourists, various regions and tourist destinations in China are enhancing the tourism experience.
A worker from the Wulingyuan scenic area in Zhangjiajie of central China's Hunan Province told the Global Times on Sunday that the visa-free policy has significantly boosted the tourism market, with a notable increase in the number of foreign visitors.
"There is a shift in tourists, with more coming from Southeast Asia and Europe thanks to the implementation of visa-free policies," the employee, surnamed Zhang, said.
In the first three quarters of this year, Zhangjiajie city received over 1.29 million inbound tourists, a year-on-year increase of 255.47 percent. The city achieved inbound tourism revenue of $358.54 million, marking a year-on-year growth of 307.61 percent, according to official data.
An employee at the ticket office of the Yuntai Mountain scenic spot in Jiaozuo, central China's Henan Province, also noted an increase in foreign visitors this year, most of whom are independent travelers. "The scenic area accommodates bilingual standards in its supporting facilities," the staffer told the Global Times on Sunday.
China has also taken measures to improve services such as easing the use of mobile payment for foreigners, implementing reservation-free entry policies at scenic spots, and offering multiple languages and payment methods to assist international travelers in purchasing tickets effortlessly, Xinhua News Agency reported.
International arrivals have surged with the support of these measures. In the third quarter of 2024, China logged nearly 8.2 million inbound trips made by foreigners, up 48.8 percent year on year. Among these, about 4.9 million entered visa-free, a remarkable rise of 78.6 percent from the same period last year.
International business people are seeing more opportunities in China. From January to September, 42,000 foreign-funded companies were established in the country, an increase of 11.4 percent year-on-year.