Provinces along China's southwestern border have continued to see the increasing number of international tourists thanks to relaxed entry policies.
On July 15, the National Immigration Administration added another nine entry ports in Yunnan to its 144-hour visa-free transit scheme. Now apart from the provincial capital Kunming, resort cities including Lijiang, Pu'er and Dali have all granted visa-free access to foreign tourists. Extended visa exemptions have sparked an inbound tourism boom at the ports.
One day after the new policy came into effect, American man Benjamin entering China via the Kunming Changshui International Airport became the first international traveler to benefit from the policy.
"I am only here for two days, and my train leaves. I hear the mushrooms here are good, I am excited to try everything," he told the China Central Television (CCTV).
Data from the Yunnan Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection Station showed the Changshui International Airport registered more than 390,000 exits and entries by foreign travelers in the first half of 2024, an increase of 491 percent from last year. Among them, more than 30.68 percent were visa-free entries. In addition, border crossings such as Mohan where the China-Laos Railway passes through also saw a surge in visitors.
"Up to date, the Kunming port has recorded more than 100,000 inbound and outbound travels and over 900 international flights for the summer season, up 70.47 percent and 55.34 percent year on year, respectively" said Li Jun, deputy director of the frontier inspection department of Kunming Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection Station.
Neighboring province Guizhou is also reaping rewards of the visa-free policy.
A group of over 30 Thai tourists just wrapped up their six-day Guizhou travel. They posed for photos at the time-honored Jiaxiu Tower in Guiyang, the provincial capital
"This is my first trip to China and I chose Guizhou. We also visited Huangguoshu Waterfall, Changshun Ancient City, Wujiang Village and other attractions. They are very majestic," said a Thai tourist.
Travel agencies in Guiyang have also seen their business thrive.
"In the first half of the year, tourism figures for the Singapore market jumped 300 percent compared with the same period in 2019. Since the end of February, we have received tourists from more than 20 countries," said Huang Kangle, deputy general manager of an international travel company.
Official data showed Guiyang had received over 100,000 international tourists in the first half of this year, far more than the number in the whole of 2023.
Inbound tourism booms in southwestern provinces as China expands visa-free policy
