China is enjoying a surge in international visitors, with international vloggers leading the way in sharing first-hand experiences of the country's landmarks, tourist attractions and local customs. In 2024, approximately 32 million foreigners visited China, marking a 78% increase from the previous year.
What's bringing China back to travelers' bucket list? Find out in CGTN Europe's explainer series China Explained.
#ChinaExplained #2025ChinaAgenda #ChinaTravel #Travel #ChinaTravelTips #ForbiddenCity #TempleofHeaven #Beijing #Shanghai #Zhangjiajie
What's bringing China back to travelers' bucket list? Find out in CGTN Europe's explainer series China Explained.
#ChinaExplained #2025ChinaAgenda #ChinaTravel #Travel #ChinaTravelTips #ForbiddenCity #TempleofHeaven #Beijing #Shanghai #Zhangjiajie
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NewsTranscript
00:00Whoa, this is so cool.
00:02Oh my gosh, we're on the Great Wall of China.
00:05It's indescribable, you have to come here.
00:10If you're into travel, maybe you've noticed something.
00:13People are once again talking about China.
00:16Young tourists are visiting the country,
00:18and they're posting all over social media,
00:21sharing their adventures with the world.
00:24But what's behind this trend?
00:26This is China Explained.
00:30China Explained
00:35China has been a tourism hotspot for a while.
00:39In fact, by 2019,
00:41China was the fourth most popular destination in the world,
00:45attracting an average of 135,000 visitors a day.
00:50But coming to China hasn't always been easy.
00:53There's the language barrier,
00:55payment systems that foreigners aren't used to,
00:59and of course, the travel visas,
01:01which created complications before visitors even arrived.
01:06But things are getting easier.
01:09China scrapped the visa requirement
01:11for six countries in December 2023.
01:14Less than a year later,
01:15tourists from nearly 40 countries
01:18could visit visa-free for up to 30 days.
01:22It also relaxed the rules for transit visas,
01:25allowing travelers from 54 nations to stop off in China
01:29on their way to a third country or territory.
01:33They can stay for up to 10 days without a visa.
01:37Officials say they've also tried to make things easier
01:40for those who need a visa.
01:43That means simplified application forms
01:46and less paperwork.
01:49But are these measures actually working?
01:52The numbers may offer some clues.
01:54In 2023, roughly 18 million foreigners visited China.
01:59By 2024, that number had surged to 32 million.
02:04It's hard to say if that's all thanks to the visa policy,
02:08but we do know this.
02:0962% of foreign tourists who came to China last year
02:14did not need a visa.
02:19More people are starting to knock on China's door,
02:22and some are surprised by what's inside.
02:26I'm shocked by how different Shanghai is
02:29to anything I thought it would be.
02:31It's extremely modern.
02:32This is one of the most popular parts of Shanghai.
02:36Shanghai has been called the best spot
02:39for travelers visiting China for the first time.
02:42The numbers back that up.
02:44Over 6 million people entered the country
02:47through Shanghai in 2024.
02:50Then there's Beijing,
02:51famous for its history and ancient architecture.
02:55We've been so looking forward to coming here as well.
02:59I actually can't believe we're here in person.
03:05These cities have been hotspots for decades,
03:08and now many tourists are looking for something more.
03:12They're exploring places like Chongqing, Xi'an, or Chengdu.
03:18So we've got the three wheels there.
03:20China is somewhere I thought I would never be lucky enough
03:24to get to visit,
03:25and I'm so grateful that there is a visa process now
03:29where you can come, you can transit through,
03:31and you can spend a few days,
03:32because seriously, incredible country.
03:35You have to come.
03:36Some visitors are amazed by China's tech.
03:41Oh my god, do you see it up there?
03:44It's massive!
03:45Others love the energy of the streets.
03:48I've never seen anything like this in my life.
03:52And the history behind the traditions.
03:56It's just incredible.
03:59I can't just imagine this place back 700 years ago
04:03being so big and so intricate and so detailed.
04:06And of course, there's the food.
04:09Lots and lots of food.
04:13There's another place that's causing a real buzz among tourists.
04:18You've probably seen it already,
04:20and you don't even know it.
04:22Jiangxiajie is the inspiration behind the floating mountains
04:26in the movie Avatar.
04:28Last year, more than 1.6 million people used the airport
04:32serving Jiangxiajie.
04:34Foreigners accounted for nearly 60% of entries and exits,
04:38making it one of the most popular destinations
04:41outside of China's big cities.
04:44Now, it's one thing inviting people to visit,
04:47but can you make them feel at home?
04:51That's the real challenge.
04:57China's economy is built on digital payment apps
05:00that use QR codes.
05:02Many visitors struggle to link their credit cards to Chinese apps.
05:06But things are changing.
05:09Tourists can now link Visa and MasterCard accounts
05:12to platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay.
05:15Card added.
05:17That wasn't too hard.
05:18That means you can book hotels, hail taxis,
05:21jump on the subway, and pay for goods at millions of outlets,
05:25all without cash.
05:27Beijing and Shanghai took it a step further,
05:30offering all-in-one passes for their biggest attractions.
05:33Some of China's international airports
05:35also have payment service centers,
05:37which help visitors set up mobile payments
05:40and, if they need it, draw cash.
05:43Big picture, China is trying to make it easier
05:46for tourists to spend money.
05:48If it gets that right, it will pay off.
05:51Literally.
05:56The fact is, tourism is big business,
05:59and China wants it to get even bigger.
06:03Foreign visitors spent $130 billion in China in 2019.
06:09They spent $55 billion in 2023,
06:12when the border reopened.
06:14That spending made up less than 0.3% of China's GDP.
06:19Compare that to 0.8% in Japan,
06:221.2% in the UK,
06:24and 2.3% in France.
06:27Clearly, there is room for improvement.
06:30China is rethinking the way it welcomes the world,
06:33and that's sparking new ways of doing business.
06:37There's still some way to go,
06:39but China knows it has to innovate
06:41if it wants to win back tourists.
06:43So, who knows, this could be the start of a great journey,
06:47in more ways than one.