New data published by People’s Daily on 28 July reveal that China welcomed 22.914 million inbound trips by foreign nationals in the first six months of 2026—an increase of 20.4 percent over the same period last year. Crucially, 17.815 million of those visits were made under China’s expanding visa-free entry schemes, underscoring the profound impact of recent policy liberalisations. Observers note that the visa-free share of arrivals has risen steadily since late 2023, when China began offering 15-day, single-entry waivers to nationals of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Malaysia, later extending the measure to other EU states and select Latin-American countries. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) says additional countries will be considered once bilateral conditions permit. The travel rebound is broad-based: airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou report double-digit growth in foreign passenger volumes, while second-tier hubs such as Chengdu and Hangzhou are logging record numbers of European backpackers drawn by high-speed rail connections and mobile-payment convenience. Social-media trends like “Chinamaxxing,” encouraging long-stay cultural immersion, are giving rise to a new demographic of experience-seekers rather than package tourists. From a business-mobility perspective, the swelling inbound numbers translate into fuller flights and tighter hotel inventory ahead of the autumn Canton Fair and the China International Import Expo. Companies planning executive visits should secure accommodation blocks early and factor peak-season surcharges into budgets. Retail and F&B multinationals, meanwhile, are ramping up tax-refund kiosks and UnionPay acceptance to capture tourist spend. The NIA believes China is on track to exceed 50 million foreign arrivals in 2026 if current momentum continues, which would restore the country to its pre-pandemic ranking among the world’s top-five inbound destinations.
Source: People’s Daily Online
