China sees surge of foreign travelers, with more expected

Visa-free entry for many countries and a series of other policies enacted by China this year that enhance foreigners' travel convenience have significantly added to the number of overseas visitors at all tourist destinations.

Some began to notice a marked increase in foreign faces in April.

One Shanghai resident exclaimed that: "Yuyuan Garden is surrounded by foreigners!"

One Chinese tourist in Sanya, Hainan, grumbled: "With Dadonghai now taken over by foreigners, we are now not-foreigner foreigners."

Many visitors are foreign nationals from 54 countries who benefit from the 72- to 144-hour transit visa-free policies effective at 38 ports in 18 provincial-level regions across China.

China recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first six months this year, up 152.7 percent year on year, according to the National Immigration Administration. Among them, the number of visa-free entries exceeded 8.54 million from January to June, accounting for 52 percent of inbound trips, or a year-on-year surge of 190.1 percent.

According to data from travel platform Qunar.com, during the first six months this year, the number of foreigners who booked flights to Chinese destinations had grown 180 percent compared with 2023, with the top five segments of tourists holding passports from the United States, Russia, Canada, South Korea and Australia. Those holding Malaysian, Japanese and Kazakhstan passports had also shown significant growth of more than 220 percent.

While middle aged, elderly, and family tourists prefer to travel in groups, younger travelers tend to go it alone, given their agility to scour for travel tips.

Major travel agencies found packaged tour sales were similar to those before 2019, with the top destinations including traditional favorites such as Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin and Zhangjiajie, particularly for European and American tourists.

Those sight-seers have become a sight in their own right.

"Whether on the street, in the Metro, in shopping malls or scenic spots, I have been seeing explosive surges in foreigners," said Wang Lu, a Shanghai resident.

That perception was shared by Ye Ling, in Xi'an, who began to see a growing number of foreign tourists since May, "almost ubiquitous in such iconic scenic spots such as Terracotta Warriors."

In addition to the lineup of traditional favorites, Chongqing has become the seventh most favorite destination, gaining three places, for good reasons.

Insiders credit this surge with the number of international flights available, now totaling over 150 flights a week to destinations including Seattle, London, Paris, Madrid, and Singapore, with more flights being considered at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.

Chongqing processed more than 150,000 inbound and outbound foreign passengers in the first half of this year, 4.9 times that of the same period last year.

With optimized visa policies, Chongqing keeps improving itinerary management for inbound tour groups, offering foreign travelers more flexible choices on their ports of entry and exit.

A tourist from Madrid, Spain, who gave her a Chinese name as Wang Jinyu, said she had always wanted to visit China, but had not been able to because of the pandemic. After Spain was included on the no-visa list, she did a lot of research, and set out for China with some of her friends in early June.

"Since I could manage simple Chinese, and to have an intimate experience of China in an unrestricted manner, we chose to travel independently, rather than with a tour group," Wang said. "The payment and transports here are all convenient."

After visiting Disneyland in Shanghai, the group continued traveling in China, including Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing on their tour.

Wang found many impressive.

"Chongqing and Chengdu are both trendy and fancy, and I am really surprised, especially by Chongqing, with its futuristic buildings more worthy of 2039," she said. "But, compared to modern architecture, I am more drawn to Hangzhou, with its breathtaking scenic beauty informed by a solid cultural legacy. I am fascinated by its temples and tea."

Some small, out of the way destinations are also favoured by some foreigners, according to Qunar.com. Heihe in Heilongjiang has become a favorite place for "picking up their deliveries" for Russians, while South Koreans are, as usual, flocking to Zhangjiajie. Other much hyped destinations include the terraced paddies in Yuanyang, and the "narrowest county" in Yanjin, in Zhaotong, both in Yunnan Province.

In addition to no-visa policies, it is now easier for foreigners to pay in China.

Since a State Council circular about easing payments was issued on March 7, a number of places including Beijing have increased the coverage of point-of-sale devices.

In Beijing, all hotels and scenic areas rated four-star and above now provide for foreign currency exchanges, ATMs, and POS, in spite of some younger visitors' preference for mobile payment which, too, has been much facilitated for foreign visitors.

With many hurdles in payment effectively cleared, some foreign visitors are splurging on items of all descriptions, whether that be traditional Chinese clothing, electronic devices, or handicrafts.

Some savvy shoppers purchased furniture and Terracotta Warrior models which were then shipped home by sea, although shipping costs have almost doubled recently as a result of rising oil prices and supply chain adjustments.

Challenges remain, however.

English-speaking tourists, such as those from the US and Canada, used to be the majority of foreign visitors but the numbers remain lacklustre so far, though there might be improvement in September and October.

The influx of foreign visitors has increased the demand for foreign language tour guides, although insiders believe the number of such guides are less than 40 percent of the number three years earlier. Tourist guides capable of speaking relatively less known languages, such as Spanish, are hotly sought after. With visas no longer required for the Spanish, their number has tripled from last year.

"A lot of Spanish-speaking tour guides have gone to other careers over the past three years," said a Spanish-speaking tour guide in Beijing. "The influx of Spanish tourists has sent the remaining guides helter-skelter, with the fees they charge going up by 10 to 20 percent."

Reservation requirements is another stumbling block. According to Sun Peng, who runs a travel agency, although reservations are no longer required to visit sites in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and other cities, the regulation remains in place for such hot spots as the Forbidden City.

Sun said since agents need to book flights, hotels and then handle the reservations for a huge number of independent travelers, making reservations to different spots can be a Herculean task, particularly when each scenic spot requires a different filing form.

An insider said that, compared to 2019, the costs of travel in China have grown, resulting in some potential tourists going instead to Southeast Asia or Africa, suggesting the urgency for China to steadily elevate the quality of its tourist products and services.

An expert cautioned that crowds might be planning to travel. Notwithstanding the "punches of policy initiatives" at encouraging tourists from, say, Australia, he said the effect would be more or less delayed, for most foreign visitors plan their journeys a year in advance.

He said July and August are likely to be the off season, with surges expected for September or October.

He estimated that the inbound market would recover to 80 percent of the 2019 level in 2026.