China to enhance convenience for inbound tourism: minister

BEIJING -- China will improve inbound travel services and make travel in China more convenient over the next five years, said Sun Yeli, minister of culture and tourism.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), China will continue to enhance the convenience of its services, including visas, tax refunds, accommodation and transportation, Sun said.

The country is also set to develop high-quality inbound tourism products and routes, build inbound tourism consumption clusters, and continuously launching charm campaigns to woo international tourists, according to the minister.

China has now established mutual visa exemption agreements with 29 countries and unilaterally offers visa-free entry to nationals of 48 countries. The total number of entry ports covered under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy now stands at 65, significantly streamlining travel for international visitors.

To ease travel, a newly launched online arrival card filing system, operational since Nov 20, enables travelers to complete the process before boarding and present a QR code for clearance.

China's continuously optimized inbound travel policies have delivered significant results, fueling a surge in international travel and strengthening people-to-people exchanges with the rest of the world.

In the third quarter of this year, foreign nationals made 7.246 million visits to China under its visa-free travel policies -- a 48.3 percent year-on-year increase, accounting for 72.2 percent of all entries by foreign nationals, according to the National Immigration Administration.