International tourists are preparing to return to China after the country decided to eliminate visa requirements for stays of up to 30 days for travelers from 74 foreign countries, including Italy.
The local government has steadily expanded visa-free entry in an effort to revive tourism and the economy. In 2024, more than 20 million foreign visitors entered the country without a visa, nearly a third of the total and more than double the previous year, according to data reported by the National Immigration Administration.
Although most tourist sites are still crowded with many more domestic than foreign travelers, travel agencies and tour guides are preparing for a greater influx ahead of the summer holidays.
“I’m practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up” Gao Jun, an English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience, told the Associated Press. After lifting strict COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited the country that year, less than half of the 31.9 million that came in 2019.
Back in December 2023, Beijing had already eliminated visa requirements for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. Since then, almost all European countries have been included in this special list. Last month, travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan were also added, followed by four countries in the Middle East. The total will rise to 75 on July 16, with the addition of Azerbaijan.
However, citizens of the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the United States, and Mexico remain excluded from this list.
“The new visa policies are 100% beneficial to us,” Jenny Zhao, CEO of WildChina, an agency specializing in luxury itineraries for international travelers. She said that business volume has increased by 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Although the United States remains their main source market, accounting for about 30% of their current turnover, European travelers now account for 15-20% of their customers, a sharp increase from 5% in 2019.
Trip.com Group, an online travel agency based in Shanghai, said that the visa exemption policy has given a significant boost to tourism. Bookings for flights, hotels, and other services for China on their website doubled in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, with 75% of visitors coming from countries that no longer require visas.
