Is China friendly to tourists?

1. Continued expansion of visa-free policies
According to data released by the National Immigration Administration of China, in the first half of 2024, 14.635 million foreigners entered the country through various ports across the country, a year-on-year increase of 152.7%. Among them, 8.542 million people entered the country visa-free, accounting for 52%, a year-on-year increase of 190.1%. Behind this, it is inseparable from the promotion of a series of policies.

From 2023 to the present, China has implemented unilateral visa-free policies for ordinary passport holders from 12 countries including France, Germany, and Italy. As of July 1, 2024, China has implemented visa-free policies for ordinary passport holders from three countries including New Zealand, Australia, and Poland.

While the visa-free “circle of friends” is continuously expanding, the number of countries applicable to China’s “72/144-hour transit visa-free” policy has expanded to 54. According to this policy, as long as international tourists hold a connecting flight ticket to the next destination, they can stay visa-free in three cities such as Changsha and Harbin for 72 hours, and in 20 cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang for 144 hours.

As a result, solo travels by bloggers coming to China are continuously staged, and short videos of Chinese tourism filmed with the themes of “China Travel” and “72/144-hour transit visa-free” have become popular on overseas social platforms.

2. The traffic password behind “China Travel” videos
On overseas social platforms, in the videos of many foreign bloggers traveling to China, the high-frequency words appearing in the titles are “unexpected”, “never expected”, and “not what we expected” (all meaning “unexpected”).

Before coming to China, many foreign tourists had some stereotypes about China. But when they really set foot on this land, the bustling streets, beautiful scenery, a wide variety of delicious food, and the hospitable folk customs deeply shocked them. The originally uneasy “adventure trip” has turned into various surprises. This “pleasure” of seeing the truth after dispelling the fog has made overseas bloggers spontaneously become China’s “Internet spokespersons.” As some foreign tourists said, “It turns out that China is not what I imagined.”

In the videos, many overseas bloggers “colorfully” show that China gives people a “full sense of security”. Some bloggers take going out shopping at night as an “adventure”, but find that the public security environment allows women to go out alone without having to worry or be afraid; some deliberately expose their mobile phones, wallets, etc., but do not “wait” for thieves or robbers; others joke that the really “dangerous” place in China is the night market because it will “steal” all the money in your pocket unknowingly. All these not only make bloggers feel at ease but also attract “envious” comments from a large number of foreign netizens.（Because night markets in China are not only safe, but there are too many delicious foods to eat, and you won’t be able to resist tasting them）

In the videos of foreign bloggers, China’s cities have high-rise buildings, wide and clean roads, parks and green spaces everywhere, and beautiful and natural rural scenery… China in the videos doesn’t need filters. And high-speed and convenient high-speed railways and mobile payments that can be used at any time have also become the focus of some bloggers’ introductions. Smart service robots in hotels and high-speed maglev trains make them feel full of freshness and experience.

The popular Japanese travel blogger Osada uploaded a video with the theme of “Solo wolf special forces travel for social phobia otaku” not long ago. In a xiaolongbao shop in Shanghai, he scanned the QR code on the table with his mobile phone to order food, and then shared his experiences with his fans: “You don’t need to communicate with the waiter. The meal will be delivered automatically in front of you. It’s really friendly for people with social phobia.”
A blogger named Ken Abroad from Germany said after finishing his trip in Shanghai: “To be honest, I thought it would be a bit chaotic here because this is a metropolis with nearly 25 million people. The roads must be very chaotic and disorderly.” But to his surprise, it is “super quiet” here.

3. The hospitality of the Chinese people
The enthusiasm and friendliness of the Chinese people are also points that many foreign bloggers mention and that move them. In the shots of some bloggers, whether in big cities or small towns in China, there are many ordinary yet warm moments: uncles on the side of the road will invite you to sit down and chat, diners in the same store will 欣然 accept sharing a table, and drivers on the road are also happy to give people a ride… These real, simple yet heart-warming moments become precious memories for bloggers.

A French guy came to China for a budget trip and wanted to experience the local customs and culture outside the cities. Walking on the roadside, an elder brother invited him to go fishing. He was in a hurry to catch a bus. The elder brother then took him to the station and forcibly stuffed four bottles of water into his hands.
The enthusiasm and friendliness of the Chinese people often move blogger Anna. She said: “Sometimes when I want to go to a place but can’t explain it clearly, passers-by will patiently guide me. Even someone who is actually going in the opposite direction will first spend a long time taking me to my destination.” Canadian couple Steve and Iana are relatively well-known bloggers. They basically didn’t make any travel plans. When they arrived in China, they communicated only by gestures. Steve said: “The Chinese people are very enthusiastic and outgoing. Although there is a language barrier, they will do their best to help you. Moreover, public transportation in China is always reliable, affordable, and available at any time. You can take the subway for only 1 dollar.”

4. Unique Chinese culture and Chinese cuisine
Traveling is not only to encounter beautiful scenery but also to experience the local customs and delicious food. Chinese culture and cuisine are also key incentives for foreigners to travel to China. Whether it is the charm of the Han and Tang dynasties in Xi’an, the leisure and comfort in Sichuan and Chongqing, the prosperous modernity of Shanghai, or the exotic charm of beautiful Xinjiang, every aspect of China is full of charm and grace.

Unlike foreigners who used to travel to China in groups, casual tourists who come visa-free choose a more wild way to play. Some foreigners deliberately check in small restaurants that only locals go to. Some foreigners go to people’s parks to experience blind dates. Others wear Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing), wear hairpins, and make lacquer fans…

In addition to first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen being loved by foreign tourists, China’s internet-famous cities have long been popular both at home and abroad. Chongqing with its “cyberpunk” style has become the favorite of foreigners. “Yangshuo’s scenery is better than that of Guilin” is on their must-check list in life. Zhangjiajie, the shooting location of “Avatar”, has also become a place that foreign bloggers dream about.
Blogger couple Eoin and Aisling spent 36 hours extremely visiting the mountain city. Chongqing with the characteristics of an “8D” city structure made the couple see 22 floors above ground and 22 floors underground. They bluntly said that Chongqing is a “cyber city.”

On the eve of May Day, an Irish couple arrived at Chengdu, the first stop of their trip to China. As soon as they got off the plane, they met enthusiastic Chengdu citizens who pointed the way in fluent English. During their city walk on the streets of Chengdu, the guokui (a kind of baked pastry) they bought casually made the couple love it at the first bite and exclaimed, “I can eat this for a lifetime!”

5. Short videos help cultural exchanges
Foreign travel bloggers record their experiences in China through methods such as “vlogs” and “live broadcasts”, and spread the local customs and cultural characteristics of different regions in China that they have personally felt to every corner of the world through short videos. The interaction between foreign bloggers and netizens at home and abroad in the comment area makes cultural exchanges more direct and in-depth. Many foreign netizens thank these bloggers for exploring the real China and letting everyone see the truth.

Because of its characteristics of immediacy and interactivity, short video platforms have become powerful tools for spreading Chinese culture.
There is an old Chinese saying that “seeing is believing.” Nothing can make people of all countries intuitively feel the image of China more than tourism.