China welcomes 17.25m foreign visitors in 7m

China wittnesed a strong recovery in international tourism in the first seven months of 2024, with foreign visitor numbers increasing by 129.9 per cent to 17.25 million, National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Monday.

Foreign tourists are expected to significantly boost the Chinese economy, with an estimated consumption of over 100 billion yuan ($14 billion).

Each visitor spends an average of nearly 3,500 yuan per day, benefiting local businesses and industries, Liu Haitao, deputy head of the NIA, shared this information at a press conference.

To streamline entry for foreign nationals, the NIA has introduced various measures, such as issuing port visas. From January to July, 846,000 port visas were issued to those with urgent travel requirements, a 183 per cent rise from the previous year.

Overall, cross-border travel experienced a robust recovery, with 341 million trips recorded from January to July, representing a 62.34 percent increase year-on-year.

Attribution: Xinhua

Subediting: M. S. Salama