Overseas arrivals in China rise sharply during National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, driven by convenience, AI tourism tools, and popular attractions.
China’s inbound tourism witnessed significant growth during the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, fueled by visa-free policies and AI-powered tourism services.
For example, Beijing hosted approximately 119,000 overseas arrivals during the holiday — a remarkable 48 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Their spending totalled 1.23 billion yuan, up 54.1 per cent year on year, according to the city’s authority.
Popular destinations included the Beijing Universal Resort, the Palace Museum, the Mutianyu and Badaling sections of the Great Wall. The city’s duty-free shops saw sales exceed 22 million yuan during the holiday, more than doubling last year’s figure.
Convenient Travel Under the Visa-free Policy
South China’s Guangdong Province also experienced a substantial increase in international travellers during the holiday, thanks to the country’s continually improving visa-free travel policies.
Russian traveller Anna Ivanova expressed her surprise at the swift immigration process upon arriving in Guangzhou. “It only took me about 20 minutes from getting off the plane to clearing immigration,” she said. “Travelling to China has become very convenient under the visa-free policy.”
According to a Global Times editorial, the expansion of visa-free access and facilitation measures for ordinary citizens from more countries reflects China’s proactive and transparent approach to integrating with the world. Through these actions, China is fulfilling its promise of openness, injecting fresh momentum into global mobility and cultural exchange.
High-tech Products and Services Attract Visitors
To better serve overseas travellers during the holiday, Hangzhou has launched “Zhejiang Travel,” an AI-powered tourism service platform providing real-time translation, itinerary customisation and local tips tailored to overseas visitors.
“I really like Hangzhou. It’s a beautiful city with poetic charms and cutting-edge technology. I have travelled to different countries, and this service is the most convenient and fast way,” said Mexican tourist Andrea Muñozledo.
What’s more, Chinese tech products are more and more popular among foreign consumers. “China is leading in both technology and production,” Swiss filmmaker Sebastian Goyon said. He has bought a DJI Pocket 3 camera in DJI’s flagship store at Beijing’s APM Mall.
At Beijing’s APM Mall, overseas shoppers now account for 30 per cent of daily foot traffic — a surge accelerated by streamlined tax refund policies. “Visitors often find our store through tax guides or maps and place it at the top of their itinerary,” said store manager Luo Yao. “Most are independent travellers accustomed to using DJI products to record their journeys.”
As China continues to advance in terms of technology and the streamlining of policies to enhance the consumer experience, its high-tech products are poised to strengthen their position in the global market and attract more international buyers, said Pan Helin, a member of an expert committee under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Written by Gu Yetao, additional reporting by Xinhua and Global Times.
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