Tourism in China is starting to pick up again, with the number of foreign visitors increasing in the first quarter of 2024. The government’s measures, including visa exemptions for European countries, have played a key role in this recovery.
In the first three months of 2024, 13.1 million foreigners entered or exited China. This marks a significant 305 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, when China’s borders reopened post-COVID-19. The number is also just 8 percent lower than the levels seen in the first quarter of 2019 before the pandemic.
China’s decision to grant visa exemptions to 5 European countries in December 2023, followed by an extension to 6 more countries in March 2024, has been instrumental in attracting more tourists. This move is part of the government’s efforts to revive the tourism industry, which suffered greatly during the pandemic. In addition to visa exemptions, China has also announced plans to simplify digital payments for non-Chinese citizens, addressing a common issue faced by international travelers.
The visa exemptions have already had a positive impact, with 23 percent of visitors to Shanghai in the first quarter of 2024 coming from the newly exempted European countries. Additionally, China offers a 144-hour transit visa scheme, allowing travelers with connecting flights to spend up to 7 days in designated cities like Shanghai without a visa. When including transit visas, more than 78 percent of visitors to Shanghai arrived without a visa.
As the tourism industry looks towards the second quarter of 2024, it remains to be seen whether the positive trends will continue. The upcoming peak travel season in the summer will be a crucial test for the sector’s recovery.
Overall, these developments show promising signs for the future of tourism in China, with the visa exemptions and other measures helping to attract more visitors and boost the industry.