Data from China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) showed that cross-border trips made by foreigners surged 82.9 percent from a year ago to 64.88 million in 2024. More than 20 million inbound foreign trips were made visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 112.3 percent.

　　China's comprehensive relaxation of visa requirements effectively pulled tourists to China last year, said Li Jun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

　　China's visa exemption policy started in December 2023, when it started piloting its unilateral visa-free policy for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Now, it allows ordinary passport holders from 38 countries to visit the country for up to 30 days without a visa.

　　Fueled by the upgraded visa-free policy, “China Travel“ went viral online, a trending social media hashtag with over 1 billion views as travelers shared their experiences in China. A growing number of international tourists are being drawn to the country's cultural landmarks, natural scenery and city tours.

　　Eva Gajewska, a project manager at CT Poland travel agency, said her office has seen a surge in inquiries since China announced the extension of its visa-free policy to Poland last June.

　　“Many new clients were drawn by the visa-free offer, which made planning their trips much easier,“ she told Xinhua, adding that their China tour packages have already been booked through April.

　　During the past Spring Festival holiday, China welcomed more than 3.43 million inbound tourists from 175 countries and regions. Meanwhile, estimates by Chinese online travel agency Ctrip showed that the volume of travel bookings from foreign tourists to China grew by 203 percent compared to the same period during last year's Chinese New Year.