Foreign tourists dressed in ancient Chinese clothing pose for photos at the Palace Museum in Beijing on April 1, 2026. Photo: VCG

From "China Travel" to "China Shopping," flight bookings by foreign visitors to Yiwu, the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities, rose 62 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2026. 

Meanwhile, Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics market ranked among the top 10 most popular business districts for hotel bookings by international tourists, according to data that a travel platform sent to the Global Times on Sunday.

Foreign travelers are venturing deeper into China, with their footprints spanning nearly 5,000 kilometers, from Heihe on the Russian border in the north to Sanya on the tropical coast in the south, and from Jiamusi in the east to Kashi in the west. 

According to Qunar data, inbound flights booked by non-Chinese passport holders covered 160 cities as of June 30. In addition to the sustained growth of leading inbound cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, inbound flight bookings in Southwest China's Chongqing rose 30 percent year-on-year.

In terms of source markets, inbound tourists on Qunar's platform in the first half of 2026 came from 575 cities across 158 countries and regions, with 11 new countries added compared with the same period last year. 

The data showed that tourists from partner countries of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative flocking to visit China, with arrivals from Mongolia increasing 1.5 times year-on-year and those from Uzbekistan rising 1.2 times. European tourists, who tend to stay longer and spend more, continue to grow. Visitors from Milan, Italy, increased by nearly 70 percent year-on-year, while those from Madrid, Spain, rose by more than 50 percent.

The data was in line with official figures. China processed a record 369 million cross-border trips in the first half of 2026, up 10.8 percent year-on-year, according to the National Immigration Administration on Friday. 

Among them, foreign nationals accounted for 45.906 million trips, up 20.6 percent year-on-year. Visa-free entries by foreign nationals reached 17.815 million, accounting for 77.7 percent of all inbound foreign arrivals, up 30.6 percent year-on-year.

The top 10 source countries for inbound travelers to China include South Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the US, Japan, Mongolia and Australia, which account for 62 percent of all foreign arrivals.

According to the NIA, as an increasing number of countries grant unilateral visa-free access to Chinese citizens, facilitating smoother outbound travel by Chinese nationals.

Qunar data showed that, for the first half of the year, inbound flights increased by 32 percent year-on-year in February and 24 percent in March. This indicates that beyond the Spring Festival period, spring outings and business exchanges have contributed to the continued growth in inbound tourism.

Chinese airlines are seen expanding overseas flight routes in recent months. On June 22, China Eastern Airlines flight MU289 departed from Shanghai Pudong International Airport bound for Stockholm, capital of Sweden, marking the official resumption of the carrier's direct route after a six-year hiatus. 

The resumption came days after China Eastern launched its inaugural Shanghai-Zurich flight, the carrier's second Swiss route, following the 2025 launch of Shanghai-Geneva flights.

Also, Air China has launched routes from Beijing Daxing International Airport to Frankfurt of Germany, and Milan of Italy.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said in April that during recent years, "China Travel" has gained increasing popularity and there has been a lot of positive feedback from foreign travelers who have come to China. 

"Come to China and discover its true charm. As we embrace the spring-summer travel season, we welcome more foreign friends to come to China visa-free and have an immersive experience of the country, where ancient history meets modern marvels," said Guo.


Global Times