China Welcomes You

Visa policies, immigration management, flight availability, and payment convenience are key factors for the growth of international tourism.
On December 17, 2024, China announced a significant relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, and increasing the number of entry and exit ports to 60. To date, China has implemented visa-free transit policies for 54 countries and expanded the coverage of unilateral visa-free policy to 38 countries. Driven by a series of favorable policies on visa, consumption, and payment, the inbound tourism market has achieved a remarkable surge, surpassing expectations over the past year.
The 1980s marked a golden era for China’s inbound tourism, when a window showcasing the country’s openness to the world cracked open. Visitors from around the globe streamed onto the streets of Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Guilin, and Guangzhou. Iconic attractions such as the Great Wall, Mount Huangshan, and West Lake became must-see destinations among foreign tourists, and Yangtze River cruises, overnight trains along the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, five-star international hotels, state-run Friendship Stores for foreigners, and shops selling calligraphy, antiques, and silk all boomed.
 To enhance services for inbound travelers, China has continuously upgraded its transportation infrastructure and public services in aviation, rail, shipping, and highways while improving the quality of tourism offerings such as travel agencies, tour guides, accommodations, dining, shopping, and scenic areas. These efforts have laid a foundation for further development of tourism.
As more international visitors arrived and engaged with the country, a more open and authentic image of contemporary China took shape. Meanwhile, with the rapid growth of outbound tourism, China gradually moved to the center of the global tourism stage, contributing significantly to the industry’s worldwide prosperity.
Over the years, the Chinese government has expanded its network of overseas cultural centers and tourism offices, hosted more international tourism fairs and bilateral tourism years, and developed world-class scenic spots, resorts, tourist cities, cultural districts, rural destinations, travel routes, and tourist corridors. These efforts have ensured foreigners’ visits to China are more smooth, convenient, interesting, and enjoyable.
I sincerely hope more international tourists learn about the new visa-free transit policy, particularly the cultural and tourism resources in the 60 Chinese port cities and their surrounding areas, through promotional campaigns and the official websites of Chinese embassies, consulates, cultural centers, and tourism offices. I invite every foreign traveler to leverage the policy and seek help from travel agencies, online platforms, and AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek to craft a personalized itinerary for their journeys across China. I also encourage every visitor to make the most of their 240 hours to fully experience China’s diverse charms: majestic landscapes stretching from Mount Huangshan to the Yellow River; poetic beauty saturating Hangzhou’s West Lake all the way to Suzhou’s classical gardens; modern marvels such as the Beijing Daxing Airport, Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, Shanghai Pudong New Area, and Guangzhou Tower; and vibrant gatherings such as open urban parks, shared community spaces, bustling markets, and morning tea rituals—all reflecting the vibrant pulse of daily life in China.
China’s 2024 government work report stressed expanding high-level openness and promoting mutual benefits. It also highlighted improving convenience for foreigners working, studying, or traveling in China, including optimizing payment services. China’s tourism economy is transitioning from rapid recovery to a new cycle of prosperous development, injecting greater confidence and momentum into global economic growth. Whether foreigners visit China or Chinese citizens travel abroad, such journeys offer opportunities for them to experience diverse lifestyles and deepen understanding and appreciation of multiculturalism.