China Increases Unilateral Visa-Free Access to 43 Countries; Inbound Tourism Sees a Strong Start, Surges by 80%
With the arrival of the summer peak season, China's inbound tourism industry is reporting another positive development: The National Immigration Administration released data today showing that from January to July 2025, a total of 74.5 million foreigners entered China through ports of entry, an increase of 82.9% year-on-year. Of these, over 20.11 million were visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 112.3%. With continued policy momentum, China has expanded its unilateral visa-free travel policy from 38 to 43 countries, adding four Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. It has also extended the visa-free stay period to 30 days for 38 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, France, and Germany, with multiple round-trip travel permitted. Transportation infrastructure has also been strengthened. As of July 28, international passenger flight volume had recovered to 80% of the same period in 2019, with the three major hub airports of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou seeing an average daily transit passenger count exceeding 120,000. Industry forecasts predict that inbound tourist arrivals in 2025 will exceed 85 million, a record high.
