What’s new: China has seen an influx of tourists this year after expanding visa waivers and streamlining policies for foreign visitors to revive its tourism industry.
So far this year, trips by foreigners to China have jumped 129.9% year-on-year to 17.25 million, data from the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show. Some 846,000 visitors obtained visas on arrival, rising 182.9% from a year ago, according to the data.
The NIA did not release figures for the same period in 2019, before the pandemic struck, but Caixin’s calculations based on the data estimate that this year’s entries are still 40% lower than in 2019.
Liu Haitao, a vice director of the NIA, expected the surge of foreign visitors to generate spending of more than 100 billion yuan ($14 billion), citing 2023 data from the National Bureau of Statistics which estimated that foreign travelers spent 3,459 yuan a day on average during their stay in China.
Background: China has been encouraging more foreigners to visit since reopening its borders after the Covid pandemic. Measures have included waiving visa requirements for citizens from 22 countries and making local digital payment and accommodation services more user-friendly for overseas visitors.
As of July 15, foreign travelers from 54 countries are allowed up to 144 hours of visa-free transit when entering 37 Chinese cities.
The NIA has also relaxed rules for visa applications on arrival, making it easier for foreign visitors making quick business trips to China, according to Liu.
Resumption of international airline services has yet to catch up to pre-Covid levels. According to data from Flight Master, in the week between Aug. 12 and 18, the number of international flights totaled 12,211, which is only 77.5% of the pre-pandemic level. While services between China and countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Britain, and the United Arab Emirates have already recovered to 2019 levels, flights between China and the United States have only recovered by 22.9%.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
