Visa Waivers See Foreign Tourists Flocking Back to China

By Feng Yiming, Zou Xiaotong and Han Wei

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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.

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China saw a 129.9% increase in foreign visitors to 17.25 million so far this year due to expanded visa waivers and streamlined policies.
Visitors obtaining visas on arrival rose 182.9% year-on-year to 846,000, but overall entries are still 40% below 2019 levels.
The surge in foreign visitors is expected to generate over 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) in spending.

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What Happened When

2023：: Liu Haitao expected the surge of foreign visitors to generate more than 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) in spending, based on National Bureau of Statistics data.

So far this year：: Trips by foreigners to China jumped 129.9% year-on-year to 17.25 million.

So far this year：: Some 846,000 visitors obtained visas on arrival, rising 182.9% from a year ago.

By July 15, 2024：: Foreign travelers from 54 countries will be allowed up to 144 hours of visa-free transit when entering 37 Chinese cities.

Between Aug 12, 2024, and Aug 18, 2024：: The number of international flights totaled 12,211, which is 77.5% of the pre-pandemic level.

AI generated, for reference only

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