Skift Take

Chinese tourism, both inbound and outbound, remains far below pre-Covid levels. Despite recent gains, China has significant ground to recover in its travel sector.

Peden Doma Bhutia

China brought in over 17.25 million foreign tourists from January to July this year, a 130% increase compared to 2023, according to latest data from the National Immigration Administration (NIA). The influx is set to generate over CNY 100 billion ($14 billion) in consumer spending, with per capita daily spending nearing CNY 3,459 ($485).

Despite the jump, China's inbound arrivals are still far away from its 2019 numbers, when it had over 49 million overseas visitors. International tourism revenue reached $131.3 billion that year.

Visa-Exemption Policies

The surge in inbound tourism this year has been largely driven by the rollout and expansion of visa-exemption policies. The 144-hour visa-free transit policy now covers 37 ports and applies to citizens from 54 countri