China’s allure for foreign visitors grows amid eased visa rules, more travel conveniences 

Since China announced a variety of policies and plans such as offering visa-free travel for citizens of a dozen or so countries and enhancing international flights to attract more foreign tourists to the country, there has been clear evidence that the measures are bearing fruit.

While it is true that the huge number of domestic tourists is the more exciting and dramatic story, the number of inbound foreign tourists, too, is increasing. As the nation marked the China Tourism Day on May 19, let us analyze some of the trends and good news.

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In the first quarter of this year, the number of foreigners visiting China increased by more than three times compared with the same period in 2023, with a total of 466,000 foreign visas issued, marking a 118.8 percent year-on-year increase.

Travelers to China who take some time out to seek the right information will realize that the politically driven negative narratives about China coming out of certain countries including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States are simply untrue. This will make it easier for them to explore this fascinating country, its people, history and culture.

China has streamlined its visa application procedure, and has been increasing flights and promoting people-to-people exchanges. In fact, the topic of international tourism is so important that it was discussed by the Chinese and US presidents, too, during their meeting in San Francisco in November last year.

The Chinese government and other supportive voices have to work harder to debunk disinformation propaganda which makes some foreigners wary about visiting China. For example, some Western media and scholars claim that the Chinese government’s tightening grip on societal regulations could potentially cause discomfort for foreign travelers in China. But there is no truth to that narrative.

As a foreigner living in China for 25 years, I can assure overseas travelers that there is no ominous “tightening grip on societal regulations” to spoil their stay. In fact, most foreigners living in China find they have more freedom, stability and safety in their daily lives in China than they had or would have back in their home country.

There is also the persistent rumor that foreigners cannot use China’s mobile app payment systems, but the truth is that these concerns have been addressed. My brother, a US citizen, visited China for the first time earlier this month and easily set up a universally accepted and convenient Alipay account with his foreign debit/credit card.

This year, there was a big increase in foreign tourists to China thanks to the expanded 144-hour visa-free transit policy, along with the 15-day visa-free entry policy for citizens of more countries including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. In the first quarter, the number of visa-free entries by foreign nationals reached nearly 1.99 million, marking a 266 percent year-on-year increase.

The cities of Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Sanya on the island province of Hainan, along with Chengdu in Sichuan province, are among the favorite destinations of foreign visitors.

Foreign tourist arrivals are expected to rise further this year, and this trend is likely to continue because of China’s continued efforts to make travel experience more convenient.

A related piece of information is well worth mentioning here: the number of foreign nationals living in China has reached 85 percent of the pre-pandemic level. More foreigners living in China means more foreign friends and family members coming to visit them.

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Another trend to note is the increase in the number of vloggers traveling to China and their increasing contribution to the tourism industry, by posting videos of their adventures in the country on social media platforms around the world.

A large number of foreign visitors have been marveling at how safe China is no matter which part of the country they are in. Unlike many other countries where crime and instability are a big concern, China is now the safest, and most stable, successful and capable country in the world, a destination to appreciate, enjoy and remember for the rest of your life.

The author is an American writer living in China and non-resident senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.