Published on: 2026-05-27
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Foreigners, through inbound tourism, are rediscovering China for themselves; they see a real, prosperous, and open country.
China has already formed the world’s largest domestic tourism market and is the largest source of international tourists and one of the main tourist destinations. In 2025, the number of travelers arriving in China exceeded 150 million, increasing by more than 17% compared to the previous year. The World Tourism and Travel Council predicts that China could become the world’s largest tourism economy by 2030.
Shanghai is actively striving to become the “first stop” for inbound tourism in China. According to the head of Shanghai’s Department of Culture and Tourism, Zhuan Xiaomin, in the first quarter of this year, Shanghai received 2.2316 million inbound tourists, which is 28% more compared to the already high figure of 2025. Foreign tourists are increasingly traveling independently, and the tourist experience is extended by all regions and seasons.
Data from several Chinese tourism platforms show that during the recent “May” holidays, many provinces recorded a significant increase in the number of incoming tourists, and the “dark horses” were Henan, Guizhou, Hunan, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, and other provinces.
In the Chenqizhou district of Wenshang city, Qixian county, Henan province – the birthplace of Taijiquan – many “foreign students” have appeared in recent years. Haxina Olivia from France, who studies Taiji here, noted that Taiji is not just a practice for relaxing the body and mind; it reveals Chinese wisdom of a “balanced perspective on life.”
More and more inbound tourists are transforming the “trips to China” into a “love for China,” and then becoming “ambassadors” of Chinese tourism. Dilan Atasayar, a Turkish ceramic artist, has already visited many places in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Changshu. “There are so many places in China where you can visit; each place has its own culture, history, and cuisine. What I like most is the diverse life and cultural history in every city,” she said. According to her, now more and more of her friends in Turkey also want to visit China.
Why does interest in traveling to China not diminish? At the beginning of this year, hashtags “become Chinese” and “maximum Chineseness” became popular on social networks, which fueled curiosity and sympathy of foreigners towards China. And the gradual relaxation of visa policies, simplification of border procedures, more convenient mobile payments and transport, as well as a comprehensive improvement in the quality of tourist services — universal digital platforms, multilingual support — allowed foreign tourists to “easily enter, move freely, stay calmly, buy conveniently and have a good time.”
Claude Breuiller, a cycling enthusiast from Belgium, traveled by bicycle from Brussels to Shanghai through Xining, Gansu, Shaanxi, and other regions. “Some foreigners still imagine China as the ‘bicycle country,’ but now electric cars are already widespread in the cities,” he noted. He particularly emphasized that China has very well-developed road infrastructure, which creates a safe and comfortable environment for cyclists.
Data shows that the sense of security among the Chinese population has exceeded 98% for six consecutive years. According to the Global Security Report for 2025, based on a survey of more than 145,000 people from 144 countries and regions, China ranks among the safest countries in the world.
Dai Bin, director of the Chinese Academy of Tourism, noted that Chinese and foreign tourists are increasingly penetrating each other’s daily lives. During their travels, people get to know the culture, learn more about each other, strengthen humanitarian ties, and become closer.
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