China recorded robust growth in foreign arrivals in 2025, driven by broader visa‑free policies and rising international standing.
Inbound visits topped 150 million in the past year, marking a year-on-year increase of over 17 percent, with spending surpassing 130 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
China now offers unilateral visa exemption to 50 countries, mutual visa‑free access with 29, and 240‑hour transit privileges to travelers from 55 countries.
As a result, inbound visits under visa‑free programs reached 30.08 million in 2025, up 49.5 percent year on year and accounting for nearly 73 percent of all foreign arrivals.
During the Spring Festival holiday in February, 460,000 inbound international travelers entered China under visa-free policies, up 28.5 percent from the daily average during last year's holiday.
Experts attributed the growth to visa-free policy and the rising status of the country. Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, cited visa-free policy as a major boost to tourists' potential willingness to travel, especially for first-time visitors to China. In the meantime, Zhang Chaozhi, executive director of tourism department at Fudan University believed that the fundamental driving force is China's continuously improving international image and influence.
Tourists cited ease of travel, cultural interest and business opportunities.
"You need just buy a ticket, and go to the airport, and seat on an airplane," said Alexander, a tourist from Russia as he toured Shanghai.
Online travel data show that the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malaysia were China's top three source markets last year, while Russian arrivals surged 205 percent. More travelers are choosing independent, family and business‑plus tours, driving significant growth.
"We're in a small group, so kind of independent, to see the culture. This little one has been learning Mandarin," said Casey, a tourist from the United States in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
"We are visiting a few factories here and we are doing business with China and want to do more business," said Maciej, a Polish tourist in Shanghai.
Experts say geographical distance is the key factor shaping how long tourists stay.
"Most Asian tourists take medium and short trips of four to seven days, while those from Oceania tend to prefer in-depth tours lasting more than seven days. Spring and autumn are the favored travel seasons for overseas tourists," said Liu Ting, director of the Public Affairs Department of an online travel platform.
With visa‑free access reshaping travel patterns and broadening visitor profiles, experts believe the momentum will continue, positioning China as one of the world's most dynamic inbound tourism markets.
China's visa-free policy fuels surge in inbound tourism
