Radio Taiwan International (RTI) recently reported that China took unprecedented measures in 2024 to expand visa-free entry to dozens of countries, hoping to lure a market of 1.9 billion potential tourists. As of the first three quarters of 2024, the number of tourists traveling to China had returned to only 60 percent of what it was before the start of the Covid pandemic. The billions of dollars in tourist revenue that the Chinese government hoped to bring in did not materialize.
The majority of tourists visiting China did not come from wealthy nations such as the United States or Western European countries. Rather, the majority came from neighboring Asian countries or less-developed countries.
Following Beijing’s decision two years ago to reopen its borders following the Covid pandemic, the Chinese government reversed its policy of “reciprocal visa exemption” and launched the largest tourism promotion campaign in history, unilaterally relaxing visa policies to allow visitors from more and more countries. At present, China has unilaterally provided visa-free entry policies to citizens of 38 countries. Before the Covid pandemic, only citizens of Singapore, Japan and Brunei had this privilege.
China has recently expanded its visa-free entry policy for transit passengers who plan to stay for 10 days or less. This currently applies to 54 countries. From statistics regarding tourist visits to Beijing, the top five countries of origin for 2024 were Vietnam, Mongolia, Russia, Malaysia and Thailand. Meanwhile, bookings for round-trip flights from Germany and France fell by 38 percent, while bookings from Italy fell by 29 percent in 2024.
Spending by international tourists was down 26 percent in 2024 compared with the pre-Covid era. Western companies are less enthusiastic about investing in China due to increasing Chinese regulatory complexity and geopolitical tensions, and these factors also discourage travel to China. A survey by the Pew Research Center also shows that people’s views on China have changed in many countries. Fewer and fewer citizens in developed countries have a positive view of China’s economic influence and military strength.
Source: RTI, January 9, 2025
https://www.rti.org.tw/news/view/id/2234294