Zhangjiajie, a picturesque tourist destination in Hunan Province in central China, is seeing tourism boom thanks to the ongoing expansion of the country's visa-free policy.
In recent days, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon scenic area has seen a significant increase in the number of tourists, with daily arrivals almost reaching 10,000, with over 72 percent of them being inbound travelers.
Visitors, with many armed with cameras, are enthusiastically exploring the breathtaking canyon scenery on the iconic glass-bottom bridge.
"Yes, the free visa, it's really helpful. I think it's really cool. We even actually need more than 30 days because we really love China and we wanted to spend more time," said Soukaina from France.
"It enabled us to travel truly freely. The entry process was very smooth. We just showed our passports and filled out a small document. Honestly, it was very simple and convenient for us," said Amina, another tourist from France.
The scenic area has implemented comprehensive upgrades to enhance the visitor experience. New outdoor adventure activities are now available, catering to international tastes, while the payment environment has been optimized for easier transactions. Additionally, a multi-language AI cultural and tourism assistant has been introduced to provide visitors with a smarter, more personalized travel experience.
Statistics show that since the beginning of this year, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon scenic area has welcomed about 2.23 million tourists, including nearly 950,000 inbound travelers.
China will extend its unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for more than 40 countries to Dec 31, 2026 as the unilateral visa-free policy for some of those countries will expire at the end of this year, according to the Foreign Ministry on Monday.
China also decides to include Sweden in the visa-free scheme effective from Nov 10, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026, the ministry said.
Under the policy, holders of ordinary passports from those countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland and Hungary, will be exempted from visa requirement if they enter China for the purpose of business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchange and transit. They can stay in China for no more than 30 days without visa.
Visa-free policy expansion significantly boosts inbound tourism in China's Zhangjiajie
Visa-free policy expansion significantly boosts inbound tourism in China's Zhangjiajie
