Inbound tourism to China's major destinations this year has surged by more than 90 percent, with international visitors favoring cultural experiences and in-depth travel, according to data from online travel platforms.
Latest data shows that bookings of domestic flights using non-Chinese passports rose 13.58 percent year on year this winter season, with cities including Harbin, Changchun in northeast China, and Yining in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region emerging as popular inbound destinations.
Tourist hotspots across the country are rolling out diverse, higher-quality travel options built around local culture.
In the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, local agencies have launched a travel route linking its capital, Harbin, the skiing resort Yabuli, and China Snow Town, which has quickly become a hit among foreign travelers.
Since opening on November 17, China Snow Town has welcomed more than 3,700 international visitors to enjoy local cuisine and folk culture and to immerse themselves in the winter landscape.
"It is a beautiful, vibrant city with a rich culture. Everything has been well-designed to help us learn as much as possible about Chinese culture. We enjoyed everything here," said Tamara, a Russian visitor taking part in a study tour.
In Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Malaysian tourists explored the Liangzhu Museum with AR guide glasses. Holographic relics appeared before their eyes, and gesture-based interaction allowed them to "engage" with ancient artifacts, making millennia-old civilization vivid and tangible.
"With this, it will let me understand China well from the first year until now, which has advanced so much. With AI, I feel I need to go more places in China to feel more experience," said Shuwelling Tan from Malaysia.
China sees inbound visitors for diverse local culture, in-depth experiences
