The eastern Chinese megacity of Shanghai welcomed 4.1 million overseas visitors from January to August this year.
One of them, German tourist Elke Walther, spent her time in the city experiencing Chinese culture; she visited the ancient town of Zhujiajiao and tasted local delicacies such as Xiaolongbao (steamed soup dumplings).
Walther told Xinhua that she was impressed by both Chinese culture and the new technologies that have become part of daily life, describing her stay as a rich and enjoyable experience.
The recent tourism boom in the city is largely attributed to new policies that provide greater convenience for international visitors. As one of China’s most popular tourist destinations, Shanghai has been among the first to benefit from these measures.
In particular, the number of tourists from the Republic of Korea (ROK) has risen significantly. After China introduced visa-free entry for Korean citizens in November 2024, many took advantage of the short travel distance to make weekend trips to Shanghai. This has become a popular trend, especially among young people.
Between January and August 2025, the ROK was Shanghai’s largest source of international visitors, with 547,000 trips recorded — a 123.9 percent increase year on year.
Similarly, China as a whole is becoming increasingly attractive to global tourists. According to the National Immigration Administration (NIA), foreigners made a total of 38.05 million trips to and from China in the first half of 2025, a 30.2 percent increase year on year. Of these, 13.64 million were visa-free entries, up 53.9 percent from the same period last year.
Currently, citizens of 76 countries enjoy unilateral or mutual visa-free entry to China, with 55 countries (including the U.S. and Canada) eligible for up to 10 days of visa-free transit when traveling to a third destination.
Most recently, on Sept. 15, China launched a pilot visa-free travel policy for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports. According to Russian travel platform OneTwoTrip, flight bookings from Russia to China surged by 70 percent year on year between Sept. 15 and 21.
In addition to expanding visa-free policies, China has also introduced measures to streamline entry, consumption, and tax-refund processes, Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli said at a press conference on Monday.
“Today, sightseeing and shopping in China have become global trends,” Sun noted.
From fashion to cutting-edge electronics, the so-called “China shopping craze” is now growing alongside the travel trend.
The State Taxation Administration reported that the nationwide rollout of instant tax-refund services this year has boosted efficiency by more than 40 percent. In the first half of the year, over 7,200 stores nationwide provided the service, while the number of travelers benefiting from tax refunds rose 186 percent year on year.
China is also tackling payment and language barriers for foreign visitors. Mobile payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay now allow direct linkage to international credit cards. Meanwhile, AI-powered translation tools are being deployed at airports and tourist sites nationwide to further facilitate inbound tourism.