According to a report by the South China Morning Post on February 3rd, as reported by Haiwai.com on February 5th, during the Spring Festival of 2025, the number of inbound tourism orders in China increased by 203% year - on - year. This remarkable growth is closely tied to China's recent moves in relaxing inbound visa - free policies.

The Latest Visa - Free Policies for Foreigners Entering China

• Unilateral Visa - Free Policy: As of January 27, 2025, nationals of 38 countries including Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, and Malaysia, holding valid ordinary passports, can enter China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit without a visa for up to 30 days. They don't need to declare in advance to Chinese embassies and consulates. However, it's advisable to carry supporting materials like invitation letters and flight - hotel bookings. Also, those coming for work, study, or journalism don't fall under this visa - free category. Minors have the same visa - free entry conditions as adults, and only valid ordinary passports are accepted for this policy.
• 240 - hour Transit Visa - Free Policy: Since December 17, 2024, the transit visa - free policy has been comprehensively relaxed and optimized. The stay period for transit visa - free foreigners has been extended from the original 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours (10 days). A total of 54 countries, including Russia, the United States, and Canada, are eligible. These travelers can enter China through any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) when transiting to a third country (region) and stay within the specified area for no more than 240 hours. The policy also allows cross - regional travel within the permitted areas of these 24 provinces.

Many foreign tourists chose to visit China during the Spring Festival, where they watched wonderful lion dance performances and dressed in traditional Chinese "Hanfu" to experience the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture. The tourism marketing company China Trading Desk stated that during the Spring Festival of 2025, the number of inbound bookings by non - Chinese passport holders increased by 70% compared to last year. During this period, South Korea, the United States, Australia, Malaysia, and Canada were the top five source countries of tourists coming to China. Among them, Shanghai was the busiest international entry gateway in China, and some areas of the city were crowded with tourists.

Looking ahead, the upward trend of inbound tourism orders during the 2025 Spring Festival is likely to continue its momentum in the following months. With the continuous expansion of visa - free policies and the increasing number of international flights being restored, the convenience for foreign tourists to visit China will be further enhanced. Moreover, as China continues to promote the development of tourism infrastructure and improve service quality, it will attract more long - term and repeat visitors. It is predicted that in the coming year, the number of inbound tourists will maintain a relatively high growth rate, and China's inbound tourism market will show a more prosperous and dynamic development trend.

The continuous expansion of China's visa - free policy has not only made it more convenient for foreign tourists to visit China but has also demonstrated China's open attitude towards the world. It is believed that with the continuous improvement of China's tourism infrastructure and service quality, the inbound tourism market in China will continue to thrive.