During this period, the international tourism market recovered further. With the implementation of the visa-free policy between China and many countries, more and more foreigners are starting to travel to China, and many of them are destined for Sichuan, which is known as the "land of abundance".
Foreign tourists enjoy beautiful scenery and delicious food in Sichuan. The foreign language tour guides who specialize in dealing with them are also busy, and there are travel agencies specializing in inbound travel in Chengdu that have gathered English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish and other multilingual talents, and also launched RV tours, motorcycle riding tours, etc., especially for the western Sichuan route that foreigners are interested in.
Statistics show that in the first five months of 2024, there will be more than 410,000 foreigners entering and leaving Chengdu Air Port, a year-on-year increase of 509%. The top three countries for inbound foreign tourists are Malaysia, Thailand and Russia.
The inbound and outbound passenger flow of Shanghai Pudong Airport has exceeded 13 million in 2024
Since 2024, with the gradual implementation of a series of entry and exit policies such as mutual visa exemption agreements, the entry and exit market has continued to be hot.
In the arrival hall of Shanghai Pudong Airport, there is an endless stream of passengers queuing up for entry and exit procedures. Ms. Maria, a tourist from the Netherlands, came to China for business exchanges this time, and she said that compared with the last time she came to China, the visa-free policy has brought her great convenience.
With the continuous expansion of China's visa-free "circle of friends", the facilitation of Chinese citizens leaving the country has also been greatly improved.
According to police officer Li Gong, an instructor at the command center of the Shanghai Airport Border Inspection Station, up to now, the number of foreigners entering the country has exceeded 3 million, and after the adjustment of the visa-free policy, the number of foreigners enjoying visa-free entry has increased to 446,000, ten times that of the same period in 2023.
Tours in various scenic spots in China to enhance the payment experience for inbound tourists
With the introduction and expansion of the visa-free policy, more and more foreign tourists come to China for sightseeing, and the number of foreign tourists received by popular scenic spots around the country has increased significantly. It is understood that many scenic spots have innovated and optimized payment methods to improve the payment experience of inbound tourists, so that foreign friends can have a more comfortable and more secure time.
Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province is one of the first attractions for foreign tourists to visit in Zhangjiajie, and since 2024, it has received nearly 100,000 foreign tourists. At present, 100% of the merchants in the scenic spot support payment methods such as wild card swiping, mobile payment, and cash receipt and payment.
According to the merchants and staff of the scenic spot, with the large increase in the number of inbound tourists and the continuous optimization of payment services, the relevant operational data has increased significantly.
In Zhangjiajie's foreign-related hotels, you can exchange "foreign currency wallets", which integrate the two businesses of "foreign currency cash exchange" and "RMB coin wallet".
At the Mausoleum Museum of the First Qin Emperor in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, the scenic spot has opened up the process of online self-service ticket purchase for foreign tourists, and tourists from different countries and regions can purchase tickets in local currency on the platform.
The "attraction" of visa-free has once again released a high-level opening dividend
With China's announcement to include New Zealand in the list of unilateral visa-free countries, New Zealand's inbound travel orders and searches have increased significantly. According to data from Ctrip's international version, after the announcement of China's unilateral visa exemption for New Zealand, New Zealand tourists' search for China-related keywords increased by 65%. Since 2024, New Zealand's inbound tourism orders have increased by nearly 60% year-on-year, ranking as the 15th largest source of inbound tourism in China. With the implementation of the visa-free policy between China and many countries, more and more foreign tourists are starting to travel to China "when they say it". Since 2024, the mainland has continued to introduce measures to facilitate foreign nationals to come to China.
Inbound tour bookings surge Foreign language tour guides are in high demand
Li Mingxiang, a native of Sichuan, is a full-time Spanish-speaking tour guide in Chengdu, and his itinerary is full from June to the end of October.
In addition to leading his own tours, he also used his free time to train college students from Sichuan foreign language colleges and expand the number of Spanish-speaking tour guides.
The number of foreigners coming to China has increased exponentially, and most of them are tourists
There is also a set of data that is enough to illustrate the popularity of inbound tourism, in the past 2024 Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the number of inbound travel orders on the travel platform increased by 115% year-on-year, continuing the hot trend since the beginning of the year.
According to data released by the National Immigration Administration, in the first quarter, the number of foreigners coming to China increased by more than three times compared with the same period in 2023, with tourism accounting for more than 30%. Recently, the World Economic Forum's Tourism Development Index 2024 showed that China ranked eighth in the world in terms of promoting tourism development.
In the past, there were fewer foreign tour groups with dozens or hundreds of people, and boutique small groups have become a popular choice for foreign tourists to "travel to China", which has also brought new changes to the tourism industry.
Foreign tourists are looking for customized tours to develop new business opportunities
In Chengdu, boutique small groups of 2-5 people have become the main order of travel agencies. Compared with independent travel, such small groups often adopt the mode of "one group, one car, and one tour guide", which is more expensive and more demanding.
Xiao Wu in Nanjing has worked in a travel agency for 10 years and has rich domestic tourism experience and the ability to deal with emergencies. She now works as a full-time travel customizer, helping inbound travelers customize unique travel plans.
These boutique small groups of foreign tourists are not only more demanding in terms of travel experience, but also more willing to learn more about the life of Chinese. Tour guides from all over the world are also constantly digging down into the unique local tourism scene.
Fully implement the visa-free entry policy for foreign tour groups on cruise ships
The reporter learned from the Shanghai Border Inspection Station that on the morning of June 28, the "Huanqiu" cruise ship carried more than 170 passengers and more than 290 crew members from the Shanghai port.
This is the first foreign cruise ship to enter Hong Kong since the National Immigration Administration decided to fully implement the visa-free entry policy for foreign tour groups in China's coastal provinces.
The development trend of China's inbound tourism market continues to improve
According to a report released by the China Tourism Academy on June 25, the search volume of overseas tourists for flights and accommodation to China will increase significantly in 2024, and the demand for potential tourism to China will be unprecedentedly high.
Under the optimistic scenario, in 2024, the foreign entry market is expected to recover to 80% of 2019 levels, and the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan entry market will achieve a full recovery.
Hainan Tourism Promotion Season Launched to Empower the Development of Inbound Tourism
Recently, "Hello! China" - the 2024 Silk Road Theme Tourism Overseas Promotion Season and Hainan Sanya Tourism Welcome Party was launched. Nearly 400 overseas travel agents from 28 countries and regions gathered together to jointly carry out the marketing activities of overseas travel agents in Hainan.
It is understood that this event aims to launch regional and thematic tourism products and boutique routes for the international community, show the ideological and cultural connotation carried by the Millennium Silk Road, and empower the high-quality development of China's inbound tourism.