The expansion of China's visa-free policy has led to a growing number of foreign travelers entering the country through Shanghai ports, prompting local travel agencies to actively develop new tourism products to meet their diverse needs.
The exit and entry frontier inspection station at Shanghai Pudong International Airport has seen a growing number of foreign travelers entering China with the continuous expansion of the country's visa-free "circle of friends."
"That's very helpful because now from June 1, you can come without visa. It's very helpful for business and also for study and things like that," said a Peruvian traveler.
According to the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection, nearly 60 percent of foreign travelers entering China this year were for tourism, with South Korean, Japanese, and Thai travelers ranking the top three. A South Korean traveler said thanks to the visa-free policy, she hopes to visit China more often for tourism.
"I decided to visit Shanghai this time, it is because of no visa. My friends usually go to Shanghai and Qingdao and also Harbin, many people besides me just love to visit China nowadays," the traveler said.
"As of now, about 1.15 million foreign travelers have entered China through Shanghai ports under the visa-free policy, accounting for 50 percent of all inbound foreign travelers and marking a 2.4-fold year-on-year increase," said Zhu Xiaoxiang, deputy director of the border inspection department at the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection.
The continuous expansion of China's visa-free "circle of friends" has offered foreign travelers extended stays and greater mobility, catering to a wide range of needs -- from weekend getaways to in-depth cross-province tours. As a result, many travel agencies are actively developing new tourism products.
"With the visa-free policy in place, I'm confident we'll see significant growth in the South American market. We recognize the need to enhance both English and Spanish language assistance. There is strong interest from Vietnamese travelers in Chinese small commodities. To cater to this demand, we've designed a special activity where travelers enter through Shanghai and then proceed to Yiwu's small commodity market for sourcing," said Zheng Xueda, inbound tourism product manager at a travel agency in Shanghai.
According to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, on Saturday, also the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the city welcomed more than 2.66 million travelers, up 7.9 percent year on year. This included 21,000 inbound travelers, up 35.9 percent year on year, generating tourism revenue of 230 million yuan (around 7.2 million U.S. dollars), up 41.1 percent year on year.
China sees influx of foreign visitors as visa-free policy coverage expands
