The search volume for Chinese destinations soared significantly after China announced a new relaxation of its visa-free transit policy on Tuesday, extending the stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, travel operators revealed.
On China’s global travel service provider Trip.com’s overseas platforms, the search volume soared 85 percent in Europe, 163 percent in the Americas, and 116 percent in the Asia-Pacific region within 30 minutes of the announcement.
France, Canada, and Russia had the top three increases in terms of search volume, according to Trip.com.
Benefiting from relaxed visa policies, China has recorded robust growth in inbound tourism this year.
Ti Gong
Foreign tourists visit the Bund along the Huangpu River.
According to Trip.com, China’s inbound tourism has more than doubled that of 2023, with the growth rate from 54 visa-free countries exceeding the overall average, increasing 189 percent compared to 2023.
Italy, Spain, Russia, Iceland, and Singapore have become the top 5 countries in terms of inbound tourism growth among the 54 visa-free countries, it said.
At the same time, one out of every four foreign tourists is a returning visitor to China.
The relaxation of cross-border policies, the expansion of the “visa-free circle of friends,” and the improvement of infrastructure for inbound tourism have become main drivers for inbound tourism, removing barriers for more foreign tourists to experience the beauty of China, said Qin Jing, vice president of Trip.com.
It will bring more opportunities for various international conferences and exhibitions to be held in China, said Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Spring Tour.
It also meets the increasing desire of foreign travelers to learn more about China, she said.
The travel agency is designing more itineraries targeting inbound travelers and has stepped up the training of tour guides who serve them.