European travel bookings to China have exceeded the level in 2019, reflecting the continuous popularity of "China Travel" among foreign tourists, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
France's Euronews, the Travel and Tour World in the U.S., Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao and many other foreign media outlets recently spoke highly of China's efforts in facilitating cross-border travel, including the expansion of visa-free policies, digital payment assistance services, dual-language signs and the fast public transit system.
In response to these reports, Lin Jian, the spokesman, told a press conference in Beijing that "We're glad to see the growing popularity of 'China Travel'. The latest statistics from competent authorities show that in the third quarter of this year, China received 8.186 million foreign travelers, up by 48.8 percent year-on-year. Among them, 4.885 million entered China visa-free, up by 78.6 percent year-on-year. Foreign media found that the number of travel bookings made by European tourists to China has already been higher than that in 2019."
"The enthusiasm to visit China and better immersive experience of foreign travelers would not have been possible without the facilitating measures China rolled out, such as including more countries in its visa waiver program. Now waiting time for entry inspection and security check is further cut short, and foreign travelers can simply swipe their foreign bank card to take the subway. Their traveling, living and working in China have been much more convenient," Lin also said.
The spokesman added China will further optimize its entry policies and implement other measures to provide greater convenience for foreigners.
China-bound travel bookings surge in Europe driven by incentive policies: spokesman
