Foreign tourism to China surges as 2026 begins

As 2026 begins, several places across China have welcomed their first batches of inbound tourists for the new year. An increasing number of international visitors are now coming to China to travel, shop and experience the country's vibrant way of life.

On New Year's Day, tourists from Germany, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea and other countries arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport, where the city held a welcome ceremony for its first group of inbound visitors in 2026.

Beijing welcomes its first batch of inbound tourists in 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism)

Zheng Fang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, noted that the capital received over 5 million inbound tourist visits in 2025 and has now entered a critical stage of transformation from "facilitating access" to "high-quality development."

Many foreign tourists traveled to China to ring in the new year. Data from online travel service provider Qunar showed that during the New Year holiday, travelers holding non-Chinese passports booked domestic flights to 97 cities nationwide. Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Harbin, Haikou, Xiamen, Qingdao and Hangzhou ranked as popular destinations for foreign visitors.

The main source countries for inbound tourists during the holiday were Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia, while visitors from Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, the United States and Australia also showed notable growth.

Foreign tourists in traditional costumes pose for photos at an immersive restaurant in Shanghai. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

During the New Year holiday, Haikou and Sanya saw the fastest growth in inbound flight bookings nationwide. Tourists from Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia and Russia showed particular enthusiasm for Hainan. Several distinctive destinations also experienced rapid growth in inbound tourism, including Dali, Xishuangbanna, Beihai, Xuzhou and Zhanjiang, all of which increased by more than threefold.

Inbound tourism orders in the first three quarters of 2025 grew by 100 percent, with orders from countries enjoying China's visa-free policies surging by an average of 153 percent, according to a report on China's inbound tourism in 2025 recently released by online travel agency Trip.com.

The report identified South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia as the top three source countries in 2025, while Russian visitors surged 205 percent year on year.

Foreign tourists attend a banquet at Puyuan ancient town in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Beijing and Shanghai often serve as the first stops for many foreign visitors to China, but travelers are increasingly seeking deeper experiences and more diverse destinations. Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality recorded a 170 percent year-on-year increase in inbound visitors, driven by its unique urban landscape and promotion by international social media influencers, with hotel bookings in some commercial districts rising eightfold.

The report found that nearly all surveyed overseas social media users view "traveling to China" as an emerging global trend.

Foreign visitors are capturing and sharing vivid "China moments" through photos and videos on social media, allowing more people around the world to discover the country's charm.

The report also noted that the vast majority of foreign tourists regard China as one of the world's safest travel destinations.

According to the report, China's inbound tourism market has vast growth potential, with the country well positioned to attract more international visitors.