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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Thanks to measures to further open up China, including expanding the list of countries with visa-free transit, streamlining the duty-free shopping policy, and increasing the number of stores offering the "purchase with immediate VAT refund" service, more and more foreign tourists have come to China for travel and shopping since the beginning of 2026, stimulating the growth of consumer activity.
According to the National Immigration Administration of China, during the New Year holidays this year, foreign citizens crossed the Chinese border 828,000 times, a 29.8% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Of those entering the country, 292,000 took advantage of the visa-free regime, a 35.8% increase compared to last year.
Traveling in China has become more comfortable.
A nearly 16-hour flight from Sydney to Beijing and then to Harbin didn't dampen Australian tourist Xi Yunlong's expectations for his "Chinese New Year's trip." Visa-free travel, direct flights, and other measures made the trip, he said, "surprisingly easy and smooth."
This was Si Yunlong's first visit to Harbin. Immediately after landing, he headed to the ice and snow theme park, "The Great World of Ice and Snow," where he spent five hours. "It's summer in Australia now, and the temperature difference with Harbin is almost 50 degrees! I want to share all the beauty of this 'ice city' with my family," he shared.
Harbin prepared well in advance for "guests from afar" like Si Yunlong. To ensure a smooth departure for tourists on New Year's Eve, Harbin's subway operating hours were extended until late. Tourist areas, such as the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival, are ubiquitous with signs in Chinese and English, and announcements in parks are broadcast in bilingual format. At Harbin Railway Station, an "international service area" provides multilingual consultations, route planning assistance, and other necessary information to international tourists.
Many regions in China are also implementing technologies to overcome language barriers for foreign tourists. For example, in Shenzhen, taxis are equipped with AI translators that support over 140 languages in real time. QR code payment is also becoming increasingly convenient. As of September 2025, the international version of Alipay has established partnerships with 40 e-wallets in the Asia-Pacific region, allowing tourists to use national payment apps at 150 million merchants across China.
See China in all its diversity
Today, China's 240-hour visa-free transit regime applies to citizens of 55 countries, and the number of checkpoints where it operates has reached 65.
Thanks to a more comprehensive, multifaceted, and in-depth visa-free transit policy, foreign visitors to China have long been limited to visiting the Great Wall and tasting Peking duck.
The "multi-city, deep-dive" tour format is becoming a popular trend. According to statistics, approximately 60% of international tourists choose interprovincial itineraries. This is especially true for guests from far-flung countries like the US, Canada, and Australia, who increasingly seek to "see as much as possible in one trip."
According to a guide at a Beijing travel agency, the share of interprovincial itineraries covering several cities has recently increased significantly in foreign tourists' bookings. For example, cultural tours along the Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu route, as well as themed Silk Road itineraries along the Beijing-Xining-Dunhuang-Kashgar route, are very popular.
The potential of 'shopping in China' is being unleashed
Several foreign guests came to a store in Shanghai's historic Xuhui district specifically to buy Chinese clothing. They were particularly impressed by the "instant VAT refund" service, which allows customers to avoid queuing at the airport and simply present their documents at the store, and their refund is processed immediately.
As of the end of November 2025, there were 12,252 stores across China providing the VAT refund service at check-out, of which 9,151 were listed in 2025. The number of retail outlets offering the "purchase with instant VAT refund" service has exceeded 7,000, and the coverage of the tax refund system continues to expand.
The CPC Central Committee's proposals for China's 15th Five-Year Plan emphasize the need to create international consumption centers and expand consumption among foreign visitors. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce recently announced that approximately 15 pilot cities across the country will be selected to develop international consumption environments.
According to the "China Inbound Tourism Annual Report 2025" released by Trip.com, China's largest online travel agency, inbound tourism bookings increased by 100% in the first three quarters of 2025, with bookings from visa-free countries growing by an average of 153%.
"China will play an increasingly important role in the global tourism landscape. 'Traveling in China' and 'Shopping in China' are expected to gradually become a new growth area for the global tourism market," said Dai Bin, director of the China Tourism Academy.
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