China is experiencing an uptick in inbound travelers as the country intensifies its efforts to attract foreign visitors through eased visa requirements and enhanced convenience, reports Caixin. During the first three months, overseas booking of trips to China on the country’s largest online travel agency Trip.com surged 188% from the same period a year ago. During the Easter weekend, the number of bookings climbed 146% year-on-year, data from the company showed.
Data from rival Tongcheng Travel also shows that since the beginning of 2024, its hotel service unit has seen a 136% increase in foreign guests compared to a year ago.
Zhou Xiaoguang, the general manager of Guilin Tang Dynasty Tours Co. Ltd., told Caixin that his company has welcomed five to six times more foreign guests than a year ago, although the number is still about half of what it was before the pandemic in 2019.