Published on: 2026-05-09
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Recently, the inbound tourism market in China has demonstrated dynamic recovery. According to data from the National Immigration Administration of the PRC, in the first quarter of the current year, the number of border crossings through Chinese checkpoints totaled 185 million person-times, which is 13.5% more compared to the same period last year. In particular, the number of border crossings by foreigners amounted to 21.333 million person-times, an increase of 22.3%. The number of foreigners entering visa-free reached 8.315 million person-times, which is 29.3% more on an annual basis and accounts for 77.9% of the total number of foreigners entering.Thus, more than three out of four foreigners enter without a visa. The number of countries with a unilateral visa-free regime has increased to 50, the number of countries with a reciprocal visa-free regime has expanded to 29, and the 240-hour visa-free transit regime covers 55 countries and 60 checkpoints – all this reflects China’s deepening openness.
Against this background, inbound tourism is transforming from a “flow” into “quality,” demonstrating a variety of new characteristics. Su Lei, head of PayPal’s sales department in China, noted that in the first half of 2025 there was significant growth in the number of long-stay tourists from the USA, the UK, and Australia. The average length of stay of foreign tourists in China has increased to 10 days. At the same time, demand has sharply increased for individualized and entertainment non-standard tourism products. The traditional format of “sightseeing” is giving way to “cultural immersion.”Foreign tourists are not limited to viewing the Terracotta Army and visiting the Great Wall of China, but are increasingly attracted by the opportunity to visit intangible cultural heritage workshops, try on traditional Anfu costumes, learn to make jiaozi dumplings, master ceramic firing, etc. Recently, during the Qingming holidays, sales growth to inbound tourists in tourist zones related to intangible cultural heritage reached 540% year-on-year, which significantly exceeds the 310% indicator in zones not focused on intangible heritage.
Outbound tourism routes are also shifting from first-tier cities to cities in central and western regions, as well as to third- and fourth-tier cities. During the Spring Festival (Chun Jie), foreign tourists booked tickets for domestic flights to 107 cities in China. Among these were lesser-known cities such as Wushan, Jininganshan, Wanzhou, and Altay. The Yungang Grottoes in Datong city, Shanxi province, ranked first in the country for the growth rate of outbound tourism during the Chun Jie festival: 735%.At Hohhot Airport in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the number of bookings by foreign tourists increased by 1.8 times compared to last year. In Guilin, Lijiang, Dali, and other cities attracting national minorities with natural landscapes and folklore, holiday tourist bookings during the Qingming holiday more than doubled. In Xinyuan, Zhounshan, Shantou, and other cities, the growth of inbound tourism bookings ranged from 2 to 10 times. These data demonstrate a significant increase in the attractiveness of symbols of traditional culture.
Su Lei also analyzed whether the liberalization of visa policy led to an increase in the length of stay of foreign tourists, which stimulates demand for individualized and in-depth tourist programs. The wide popularization of China’s iconic landmarks on foreign social networks contributes to the growth of inbound tourism. However, this success creates challenges for local trade and service points, since individualized products require their ability to directly interact with foreign consumers.
The implementation of measures to ensure the convenience of tourists at all stages of the trip continues. Leading online platforms provide information in 16 languages, covering more than 8,000 tourist zones and 450,000 hotels. The international version of Alipay has established cooperation with 40 e-wallets in the Asia-Pacific region, thanks to which payments from abroad can be accepted at 150 million Chinese retail points. A tourist service desk offering multilingual consultations has been opened at Harbin railway station.
Key factors in the high growth of inbound tourism are the results of the visa policy being implemented. In the first quarter of 2026, the share of foreigners entering China under the visa-free regime reached 77.9%. The geography of inbound tourism expanded after Russia was included in the list of countries with visa-free access in September 2025. The World Tourism and Travel Council predicts that if the current growth rates continue, China may become the world’s largest tourism economy by 2030. Throughout 2025, the number of inbound tourists to China reached 154.5 million person-trips, an increase of 17.1% year-on-year.The total expenditures of inbound tourists amounted to 131.1 billion US dollars, an increase of 39.2%. The research report by Huatai Securities notes that inbound tourism is becoming a powerful driver of the development of the cultural and tourism industry.
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