Inbound tourism booms in January 2025

In January 2025, inbound tourism continues to heat up across China, as "China travel" has become increasingly popular among foreign tourists.

Italian tourists pose for a group photo on the city wall of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of Chengdu Greatway Tour Co., Ltd.)

Since China implemented the 240-hour visa-free transit policy on Dec. 17 last year, the country has seen a rising number of inbound tourists.

For instance, more and more tourists hailing from South Korea and Japan have traveled to east China's Shandong Province by air after work on Friday to indulge in delectable cuisine, stunning landscapes, and shopping sprees. Cities like Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai in the province have become popular destinations for South Korean tourists.

South Korean tourists drink beer at the Tsingtao Beer Museum in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism)

Since the beginning of this year, Qingdao has received nearly 1,000 South Korean tourist visits per day on average, a 17.6 percent surge compared to that before China implemented a unilateral visa-free policy for South Korea.

Since China's visa-free entry policy for South Korea on a trial basis, the volume of travel bookings from South Korean tourists to China has surged, with Shanghai emerging as the top choice for many South Korean visitors.

On New Year's Day, 130 tourists from 10 countries and Hong Kong SAR arrived in Beijing. They gathered at the foot of the Great Wall, immersing themselves in traditional Chinese culture through intangible cultural heritages like paper-cutting and lion dance.

Today, many foreign tourists are exploring China in unique ways, seeking to delve into its rich history and vibrant modern culture. South Korean tourists share their travel experiences in Shanghai on social media, exploring the city's trendy cafes, bars, and night markets. A tourism company has continued to roll out inbound tourism products in Shanghai, adding new city walk routes, museum visits and intangible cultural heritage experiences, etc.

China's inbound tourism is expected to achieve positive growth this year and surpass the 2019 level, thanks to continuously improved visa, payment, and accommodation policies, facilities and service quality, plus active overseas promotion of inbound tourism, according to Liu Xiangyan, who is in charge of inbound tourism research at the China Tourism Academy.

Tourists pose for a group photo in front of the Temple of Heaven, a well-known attraction in Beijing. (Photo courtesy of CYTS International Travel. Co., Ltd.)

Data from Shanghai's Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism shows that the city received over 6 million inbound tourist visits in 2024. Shanghai aims to position itself as the top destination for inbound tourism, with internationally friendly tourism products and convenient services, according to the city's government work report this year.

Qingdao welcomed 442,200 inbound tourist visits in 2024, a whopping 97.3 percent increase year on year. In 2025, Qingdao will ramp up its tourism promotion efforts in South Korea, Japan, and emerging markets including Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Online travel agency Ctrip predicts that the number of travel bookings by foreign tourists for the Spring Festival period this year will surge by 203 percent year on year.

China welcomes foreign tourists to join China's celebration of the Spring Festival and experience the joy of the Chinese New Year, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said recently.