BEIJING – China seems to be on track in terms of recovering the tourism sector in the country as the authorities have reported a sharp increase in the number of arrivals.
During the six months of the ongoing year, China recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners which reflects an increase of 152.7 percent year on year.
The data released by the National Immigration Administration on Friday implies that the country is becoming a top travel destination for citizens from across the world.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) also reported that the number of visa-free visits by foreign nationals exceeded 8.54 million from January to June, constituting 52 percent of all inbound trips, reflecting a substantial 190.1 percent surge compared to the previous year.
The immigration authorities are expecting that there will be a continued increase in the number of foreign visitors to China in the latter part of the ongoing year.
On the other hand, China Tourism Academy (CTA) has also projected that the inbound tourism market for foreigners will rebound to approximately 80 percent of the levels seen in 2019 when the COVID-triggered social distancing protocols brought travel to a standstill.
It is to be highlighted that there are multiple factors at play leading to an increase in the number of tourists including the visas-free agreements signed by the country in recent months.
China not only faced criticism for its handling of COVID-19 but also faced economic brunt due to social distancing protocols which halted tourism. Soon after the restrictions were lifted, the country opened up to the outside world and offered visa-free entry to countries including Malaysia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg.
China has also signed a visa-free agreement with Thailand permanently from March this year and the country is still looking for ways to attract more and more tourists from across the world.
