Key Takeaways
• Foreign visitor entries to China reached 26.94 million in 2024, nearly double the previous year’s total.
• 20.12 million foreign visitors entered China in 2024 without a visa, a 112% increase from 2023.
• China’s international tourism revenue hit $94.2 billion in 2024, up 78% year-over-year.
Foreign Traveler Numbers to China Jump Following Visa Waivers and Tax Refunds
China 🇨🇳 has seen a sharp increase in foreign visitor numbers after making big changes to its visa policies and tax refund programs. The government now allows travelers from many countries to enter without a visa and makes it easier to get tax refunds on shopping. These changes are helping China 🇨🇳 recover its tourism industry after the pandemic years.
Big Jump in Foreign Traveler Numbers
In the first part of 2025, China 🇨🇳’s immigration office processed 163 million passenger trips. This was 15.3% more than the same time in 2024. Most of the growth came from foreign visitors. In 2024, 26.94 million people from other countries entered China 🇨🇳. That is almost double—up 95.5%—from the year before.
Even more striking is that 20.12 million of these entries in 2024 came from travelers who did not need a visa. This means nearly 75% of all foreign visitors that year entered China 🇨🇳 without a visa. Compared to 2023, the number of visa-free entries went up by over 112%. As reported by VisaVerge.com, this shows a strong effect of China 🇨🇳’s new visa waivers and the desire of foreign travelers to visit.
Why Did These Numbers Rise?
The main reason for this surge is the new visa waiver policy. China 🇨🇳 now allows citizens of 38 countries to enter without a visa. The government also expanded a program that lets people from 54 countries stay for up to 240 hours, or 10 days, with no visa needed—if they are simply passing through.
These policies helped make travel to China 🇨🇳 less of a hassle. Before 2023, many tourists needed to fill out lots of forms or wait for weeks to get a visa. Now, for many, it is easy and quick to enter the country, especially if just visiting or stopping over.
During big holidays, such as the 2025 Spring Festival, the effect was even larger. China 🇨🇳 had 22.9% more foreign visitors compared to the same festival in 2024. Fewer visa barriers meant more people could come enjoy the celebrations.
Tax Refunds Boosting Travel Appeal
Alongside the visa changes, China 🇨🇳 improved its departure tax refund program. In the past, only a few big stores or airports offered refunds on taxes paid for purchases. Now, many more shops, malls, and tourist spots allow foreign travelers to get taxes back before leaving the country.
This tax refund makes shopping in China 🇨🇳 less expensive for overseas visitors. Since many tourists enjoy buying local products, being able to claim back taxes has made China 🇨🇳 even more tempting for shoppers.
Both these changes—visa waivers and better tax refunds—have made the country easier and cheaper to visit. As a result, tourism has grown fast.
Where Are the Visitors Coming From?
Visa waivers have changed where tourists are coming from, too. South Korea 🇰🇷 has quickly become one of the top sources of travelers. In big cities like Shanghai, South Korean visitors are often the largest group seen in popular spots—such as barbecue restaurants and bakeries.
The growth from South Korea 🇰🇷 can be traced to a key move in November 2024, when China 🇨🇳 started allowing South Korean passport holders to enter without a visa. Following this, the number of tickets sold for flights between China 🇨🇳 and South Korea 🇰🇷 shot up by over 60% in December 2024, compared to average numbers from the rest of the year. On some flights from Shanghai’s main international airport to Busan, four out of five passengers are now South Korean. This shows how one simple policy switch can shape travel patterns in a major way.
Other countries also saw boosts in visitor numbers, as people took advantage of the simplified entry process to visit China 🇨🇳 for both business and fun.
What About the Airports and Airlines?
The jump in Foreign Traveler Numbers has had a big effect on China 🇨🇳’s airline industry. Chinese airlines have seen more ticket bookings and have started new routes to cities around the world. Air China, for example, launched flights from Chinese cities to Milan, Riyadh, Havana, London Gatwick, and Dhaka.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic is tied to the 144-hour visa-free policy. For the first seven months of 2024, the number of foreign travelers using this option grew by 403% compared to the same period in 2023. As more people travel for business, tourism, or other reasons, airlines have a good opportunity to add more flights and improve their services for international travelers.
Money Matters: How Tourism is Boosting China 🇨🇳’s Economy
The impact of these policy changes is not just felt in travel numbers. They are also making a real difference in China 🇨🇳’s economy. In 2024, international travelers brought in $94.2 billion in revenue. This was almost 78% more than the year before, driven largely by more visitors and their spending on hotels, food, and shopping.
Tourism is now set to play an even bigger role in the country’s financial outlook. By 2025, China 🇨🇳’s tourism industry is expected to be worth $2.61 trillion, with tourism set to make up 11.4% of the country’s total economic output—the GDP. Overseas visitors are projected to bring in more than 100 billion yuan (around $14 billion) in spending, helping jobs in hotels, transport, and retail.
Will China 🇨🇳’s Tourism Keep Growing?
Trends suggest yes. Outbound tourism—that is, people from China 🇨🇳 traveling abroad—is also growing and should reach over 155 million travelers in 2025, passing pre-pandemic levels. But on the inbound side, the increase in Foreign Traveler Numbers after the visa waivers and tax refunds shows that more international visitors want to see what China 🇨🇳 has to offer.
Still, while the 2024 numbers are much better than during the pandemic, they have not yet reached 2019 levels. Foreign visitor entries in 2024 were about 85% of what they were in 2019, and revenue is at 91% of the pre-pandemic total. But each year since the pandemic, the gap is getting smaller, showing ongoing recovery.
How Do Visa Waivers and Tax Refunds Really Work?
Visa waivers mean citizens from certain countries do not need to apply for a visa—an official travel document that gives permission to enter a country. For many travelers, a visa waiver saves time and money, removes paperwork, and removes the worry about visa rejections. China 🇨🇳’s list of visa-free countries now includes many from Europe, Asia, and other regions.
Transit visa waivers let people stop over in China 🇨🇳 for up to 240 hours (10 days) if they are on their way to a third country. This encourages more people to stay, spend money, and explore—rather than just transferring flights without leaving the airport.
The tax refund program lets visitors reclaim some of the taxes paid on goods bought during their stay. By adding more locations where refunds are possible, China 🇨🇳 makes it easier for tourists to get some money back and take home more souvenirs or gifts.
For more details on visa-free entry and eligibility, travelers can visit the official National Immigration Administration of China for updated lists and entry rules.
What’s the Wider Impact—and Are There Downsides?
For businesses across China 🇨🇳—from airlines and hotels to retail shops—rising Foreign Traveler Numbers mean more customers and new chances to grow. Especially in tourist hotspots, local economies are seeing direct benefits from more international guests. Restaurants, taxis, tour guides, and many other services are enjoying the extra income.
For the aviation industry, higher demand for flights makes it possible to offer new routes and better prices. People living in or near China 🇨🇳 benefit as well, since global links make it easier to connect for business, family, or study.
However, the changes are not without challenges. With so many more visitors, airports and customs departments must work harder to keep lines short and wait times low. There may also be concerns about making sure all visitors follow local rules and respect public health requirements, such as those related to Covid-19 or other diseases.
Some critics have pointed out that while numbers are rising, the country has not yet fully brought back its pre-pandemic share of high-spending tourists. There is also debate about how well the tax refund process works in practice, with some travelers saying they still face long waits or confusing paperwork when trying to claim refunds.
Comparing China 🇨🇳 to Other Destinations
Many other countries are also making it easier for foreign travelers to visit. For example, some in Southeast Asia now have visa-free travel agreements between them. Europe offers its own visa waiver for people with Schengen visas.
Yet, what sets China 🇨🇳 apart is the sheer size and speed of its recent changes. Few countries have brought in visa waivers for so many nations at once or updated their tax refund systems as quickly. By doing so, China 🇨🇳 is showing that removing barriers can have a fast and powerful effect on Foreign Traveler Numbers.
The Road Ahead: What Could Happen Next?
The strong early results from these changes hint that more countries may follow China 🇨🇳’s lead and open up their borders further. If China 🇨🇳’s tourism industry continues to pick up steam, it could set new records in visitor numbers, flight routes, and spending.
But future growth depends on several factors, such as how quickly the world economy recovers, whether new health concerns slow down travel, and how well China 🇨🇳 can keep airports and tourist sites running smoothly for rising numbers of guests.
Most travel watchers expect that, with the continued visa waivers, broadened tax refunds, and new incentives, China 🇨🇳 will keep welcoming more tourists from around the globe. The coming years may bring even more changes—possibly new countries added to the visa-free list or digital improvements that make travel and refunds even easier.
Key Takeaways for Travelers, Businesses, and Policy Makers
If you are thinking about visiting China 🇨🇳, now may be the best time. With less paperwork, faster airport arrivals, and more places to shop tax-free, the whole experience has become easier than ever. For businesses in tourism, hospitality, and aviation, the growing number of visitors means a chance to expand, hire more workers, and boost profits.
For other governments or agencies worldwide, China 🇨🇳’s success shows that simple changes—like relaxing visa rules or making tax refunds easier—can draw back tourists after tough times.
Policymakers should keep an eye on how these policies are working in both the near-term and over the next several years, to ensure benefits last. Listening to traveler and business feedback will help fine-tune rules and procedures, keeping tourism numbers climbing without letting quality of service slip.
For up-to-date information and detailed entry guidelines, the official Chinese immigration authority website is a helpful source.
Conclusion
China 🇨🇳’s experience in the past year shows that opening up—by waiving visas for more countries and making shopping easier through tax refunds—can bring back foreign visitors quickly. The results are already clear: millions more travelers, a lift for airlines and tourism, and billions more dollars spent in the country. While it may take another year or two to fully return to pre-pandemic highs, China 🇨🇳’s reforms are already reshaping who visits, how much they spend, and how the world sees travel to this vast country.
VisaVerge.com’s investigation reveals that as other nations watch and learn from these policies, the global tourism scene may shift even more in the future, with China 🇨🇳 at the center of these changes. For now, Foreign Traveler Numbers are up, and the future for Chinese tourism looks brighter than it has in years, all thanks to targeted visa waivers and smart tourism policies.
Learn Today
Visa Waiver → A government policy that allows citizens of certain countries to enter without needing a visa, reducing travel barriers.
Visa-free Transit Policy → Permits travelers from certain nations to stay up to 240 hours in China without a visa if transiting.
Tax Refund Program → A system enabling foreign travelers to reclaim taxes paid on goods bought in China when departing the country.
Entry Revenue → Total income generated from foreign visitors, typically from spending on hotels, food, attractions, and shopping.
Outbound Tourism → Travel by residents of a country to other nations, measured alongside inbound (international visitor) tourism statistics.
This Article in a Nutshell
China’s bold visa waivers and expanded tax refund policies have made visiting both easier and more attractive. In 2024, millions more entered China, with 75% using visa waivers. Tourist spending rose sharply, and airlines added new routes. China’s tourism boom proves that streamlined entry rules can spark rapid economic recovery.
— By VisaVerge.com
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