BEIJING: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China announced a significant surge in inbound tourism, with the total number of inbound tourists reaching 94.6283 million in the first three quarters of 2024, marking a 78.8 percent increase year-on-year. The announcement was made on Friday during the China International Travel Mart 2024 held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.
The event, which runs from Nov 22 to 24, has attracted over 1,000 international exhibitors and nearly 600 overseas travel buyers from more than 80 countries and regions. This initiative aims to promote inbound tourism by showcasing innovative tourism products and routes. Starting Nov 24, overseas travel buyers will visit various provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui, and Fujian, to experience these offerings firsthand.
In recent years, the Chinese government has prioritized promoting inbound tourism through coordinated policy measures. One such measure is the implementation of unilateral visa-free policies for 29 countries, including France, Germany, and Australia.
To further boost inbound tourism, the department has continuously simplified visa procedures.
“We have introduced a new version of the Chinese visa application form, optimizing and simplifying 34 percent of the items, significantly reducing the time required to complete the form,” Gu said.
In the field of civil aviation, efforts are being made to resume international flights.
“Since the beginning of this year, the number of international passenger flights has steadily increased, surpassing 6,000 flights per week during the summer, achieving over 80 percent of the annual target,” said Shang Kejia, deputy director general of the Department of Air Transport of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. So far, 42 airports, 41 airlines, and 12 ticket sales platforms have facilitated travel and payment, making ticket purchasing, multilingual services, terminal payments, and currency exchange more convenient for inbound tourists.
Shang added that the next step is to enhance comprehensive service counters at major international airports, offering one-stop services for foreigners, including cultural tourism, payment, transportation, and communication services. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
