China's Visa-Waiver Policy Boosts Inbound Tourism: Foreign Visitors Up 152%

In the first half of the year, 14.64 million foreigners visited China, marking a 152% year-on-year increase, according to the National Immigration Administration.

China, historically a major player in outbound tourism, is now focusing on boosting its inbound arrivals. Recent visa-free policy changes appear to have helped increase the number of foreign visitors to the country.

Over 8.5 million visa-free entries were recorded from the period between January to June this year, making up 58% of inbound travel, reflecting a 190% increase year-on-year.

Despite this growth, current numbers still fall short of the pre-Covid benchmark of 15.53 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2019.

China’s National Immigration Service reported processing 287 million inbound and outbound trips in the first six months of 2024, a 71% year-on-year increase. These in