Think tank report explicates how world knows a real China amid inbound travel boom

BOAO, Hainan, 5 December 2024 (Xinhua) -- A think tank report released on Wednesday offers an in-depth analysis of how the world is invited to experience a real China up-close, as foreign tourists swarm into the country buoyed by a raft of facilitation measures.

The report, "China Travel -- Inviting the World to Experience a Real China," was issued by New China Research, a think tank under Xinhua News Agency.

The report summarizes and explains the domestic and global relevance of China's inbound travel boom. It notes that China has introduced a series of facilitation policies and measures for foreigners to come to China for work, study, or travel.

Starting on Dec. 1, 2023, visitors from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia could enter China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit.

The policy has expanded several times in the past year. So far, 38 countries enjoy unilateral visa-free access, and the maximum stay for visitors has been extended to 30 days as of Nov. 30.

According to the report, in the first half of 2024, the number of foreigners who entered China reached 14.64 million, up 152.7 percent year on year. Among them, approximately 8.54 million entered China visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 190.1 percent.

The report was released at the Xinhua CEIS Think Tank Annual Conference 2024 in Boao in south China's island province of Hainan. The CEIS is short for China Economic Information Service, a professional provider of economic information and services under Xinhua.

To welcome international visitors in the post-pandemic era, China has streamlined its visa application process, refined its immigration process to increase efficiency at border-control points, made its payment services for international travelers more accessible and inclusive, among other efforts.

Noting that China continues to roll out facilitation measures at the national, local and market levels, the report says that against the backdrop of China's strategy of building a strong tourism country, the "China Travel" market faces extraordinarily broad vistas and plays an important role in driving the development of the economy.

"China Travel" enables people from around the world to have a direct appreciation of the development achievements of Chinese modernization, and experience the charm of Chinese culture, the new scenes of life-changing technology, the beautiful life of Chinese urban and rural residents, and the ecological advancement in China, says the report.

The report has cited the story of a British couple as an epitome of "China Travel." Since the beginning of 2024, British blogger Chris Hutchinson has been taking his family on a China tour. At first, they withdrew money from banks and used cash to pay for their daily expenses.

"After learning to use WeChat and Alipay, everything became so much easier and simpler," he said. "It's incredible that everything can be done with a cell phone. Even at street food stalls, one can pay by just scanning the code!" added Hutchinson's wife Tamira.

In the southern metropolis of Shenzhen, the couple got a Starbucks takeout delivered by a drone, which was an unprecedented new experience for them. In Shanghai, they were impressed by the ubiquitous technology and modern skyscrapers in the city.

The report further analyzes that "China Travel" conveys a credible, lovely, and respectable image of China, effectively reversing stereotypical and one-sided impressions of China and demonstrating China's determination to open up to the world and share its market opportunities.

"Many foreigners who have never been to China mainly learn about the country through the media, but some Western media outlets, out of various motives, are either inarticulate or not objective or fair in their reports on China," says the report.

Visits to China based on personal experience and interactive communication provide more foreign tourists with the opportunity to experience the country in a more direct way, and what they see and learn in the country is more helpful in shaping an image of China that is real, three-dimensional and comprehensive, according to the report.

Wang Jiansheng, deputy head of a Hainan-based tourism development research institute, said that tourism helps to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people across the world and reduce misunderstanding and prejudice.

In addition, the report notes that "China Travel" promotes exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations as it enhances the inclusivity and coexistence of different civilizations.

"When relations between different countries face changes or difficulties, non-governmental tourism activities can often become a lubricant to improve relations," said Wang.

For China's tourist industry, the promotion of peace and economic development is the first priority, and cooperation to achieve win-win results is the fundamental path, according to the report.

"China Travel" in the new era will contribute to a new pattern of people-to-people exchanges, cultural interaction, and close communication, "keeping the garden of world civilizations full of colors and vibrancy," the report concludes.