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 shown dynamic recovery. According to the 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 reached 185 million person-times, which is 13.5% more than 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 year-on-year and accounts for 77.9% of the total number of foreigners entering China.Thus, more than three out of four foreigners enter without a visa. The number of countries with unilateral visa-free regimes has increased to 50, the number of countries with reciprocal visa-free regimes has expanded to 29, and the 240-hour visa-free transit regime covers 55 countries and 60 checkpoints – all of this reflects China’s increasing openness.
Against this background, inbound tourism is transforming from a “flow” into “quality,” demonstrating a multitude of new characteristics. Su Lei, head of PayPal’s sales department in China, noted that in the first half of 2025, there was a significant increase in the number of tourists staying long-term from the USA, the UK, and Australia. The average duration of foreign tourists’ stay in China increased to 10 days. At the same time, there was a sharp rise in demand for individualized and entertainment-oriented non-typical tourist 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 Qiang costumes, learn to make jiaozi dumplings, master ceramic firing, etc. During the recent Qingming holiday, sales growth to inbound tourists in tourism zones related to intangible cultural heritage reached 540% year-on-year, which significantly exceeds the 310% indicator in zones not oriented towards intangible heritage.
Outbound tourism destinations 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 (Chunqiu), foreign tourists booked tickets for domestic flights to 107 cities in China. Among them were lesser-known cities such as Wushan, Jingan Mountain, Wanzhou, and Altay. The Yungang Grottoes in Datong city, Shanxi province, ranked first in the country for growth rate of outbound tourism during the Chunqiu Festival: 735%.At the Hohhot Airport of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the number of bookings by foreign tourists increased 1.8 times compared to last year. In Guilin, Lijiang, Dali, and other cities attracting natural landscapes and folklore of national minorities, inbound tour bookings during the Qingming holiday rose by more than 2 times. In Xinyuan, Zhuzhou, 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 has 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 attractions in overseas 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.
Measures to ensure the convenience of tourists at all stages of the trip continue to be implemented. 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 outlets. A tourist service desk providing multilingual consultations has been opened at Harbin railway station.
The key role in the high growth of inbound tourism is played by the results of the visa policy implemented. In the first quarter of 2026, the share of foreigners entering the territory of China under the visa-free regime reached 77.9%. The geography of inbound tourism expanded after Russia was included in September 2025 in the list of countries for which the visa-free regime applies. The World Tourism and Travel Council predicts that, at the current pace, China could become the largest tourism economy in the world by 2030. Throughout 2025, the number of inbound tourists to China reached 154.5 million, an increase of 17.1% year-on-year.The total spending 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 for the development of the cultural and tourism industry.
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