China logs 14.64 million inbound trips by foreigners in H1

More than 8.54 million foreigners entered China visa-free in the first half of this year, up by 190.1 percent year-on-year, said the National Immigration Administration on Friday.

China recorded almost 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of this year, up 152.7 percent, it said.

Since last year, China has implemented unilateral visa exemption policies for 15 countries, including France, Germany, and Australia. Nationals from these countries holding ordinary passports can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, and transit purposes, with a stay of up to 15 days.

Additionally, China has established mutual visa exemption agreements with seven countries, including Singapore and Thailand. 

Lin Yongsheng, the spokesperson for the NIA, said that implementing these policies has played a positive role in promoting mutual trust between nations, economic and trade exchanges, and people-to-people interactions.

According to the recently released World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024, China ranks eighth globally in promoting tourism development, being the only developing economy in the top ten.

With the continuous expansion of the visa exemption scope and the accelerated implementation of various policies, it is expected that the number of foreigners visiting China will continue to rise in the second half of this year, he said.