BEIJING: China’s tourism sector is reaching new heights, following an increase in international arrivals since the country’s expansion of its visa exemption policy. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) stated that the country received 7.25 million foreign visitors in the third quarter of 2025, an increase of 48.3% of visa-exempt arrivals year over year. The policy allows visitors from 76 countries to enter the country by visa exemption, quickly generating an interest in travel and making China one of Asia’s most open and appealing destinations.
Tourists are experiencing a new travel paradigm in visiting China as it becomes easier to enter the country. With a growing number of countries participating in the expansion, travellers can now simply arrive and experience landmarks, skyscrapers, the countryside, and cultural heritage sites without the necessity of applying for a visa.
The NIA indicated that visa-free travellers now make up over 70% of all foreign entries into China, signalling the success of the government’s open-door policy. More than 20 million international visitors entered China in total just in the last quarter, further evidence of the policy’s extensive reach.
The tourism surge was particularly evident during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, when international guests took part in the festivities alongside millions of domestic guests. The bustling atmosphere, unprecedented traditions, and scenic attractions of cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Guilin, and Yunnan brought overwhelming crowds and excitement.
Visa-free travel has opened up destinations, allowing tourists to experience China’s cultural festivities and traditional celebrations at their community’s doorstep as it advances its global tourism popularity.
China’s visa-free strategy has not only increased tourism numbers but also achieved more intercultural connections and agreements, benefiting 76 countries, with further frames of exemption for up to 10 days from 55 countries.
The rising travel continues to mirror the heightened mobility for the world as a whole, with 178 million international travel items in July to September 2025, representing a 12.9 per cent increase in traffic from 2024. This path in global movement follows a strong recovery in international travel and signifies an increased confidence from our global populations back in travel modes, and China plays a role in the global revitalisation of travel and tourism.
The benefits of this wave of tourism are significant. Work for hotels, restaurants, transportation, and local businesses in both tier one cities as well as small counties across the country has increased, and new employment opportunities will be created as a result of more international tourism. The increase of tourism has created new and renewed local economies, added and revitalised energy and spirits to the hospitality and cultural sides of the country, which continue to prove a great tourism infrastructure from Lijiang’s ancient streets to Shanghai’s modern buildings.
In the future, China appears to be continuing its momentum. The National Immigration Administration stated it will expand the visa-free programme and enhance digital services to make travelling even easier. Thanks to its increasing accessibility, attractions and friendliness, China is on track to become a leading destination on the world tourist map.
The success of the visa-free policy really shows there is a compelling shift in the world’s tourism landscape. The more people that come to China, the more boost it gets as not only an economic powerhouse, but as a cultural and tourism power as well, offering experiences that bring the world even closer.
