Removal of visa restrictions boosts Chinese tourism industry

B2B travel wholesaler DidaTravel has reported a 50 percent week-on-week increase in hotel sales from six countries to China following China’s recent announcement of the visa exemption scheme for travellers from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.

China recently announced a new visa-free policy for passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia.

This policy took effect on December 1, 2023, and will last for one year. It applies to trips of up to 15 days for business travel, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and for transitioning within China.

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This policy aims to create convenience for passport holders from these countries in order to stimulate inbound tourism.

Based on DidaTravel’s booking data, since the implementation of the recent visa-free policy, hotel bookings from the six countries named have grown by over 50 percent from December 1 to December 7 in comparison to the previous week.

In fact, hotel bookings for travellers from Spain to China have jumped by more than 100 percent compared to the same period last week. Bookings from Italy and Malaysia to China saw an impressive increase of 50 percent and 67 percent week on week, respectively.

Meanwhile, although the wider Chinese inbound market has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels due in part to the fact that China’s borders only fully opened in early 2023, DidaTravel’s year-to-date inbound hotel sales to China have seen a remarkable 151 percent growth vs. the same period in 2019.

According to DidaTravel’s year-to-date total transaction value, Spain, Malaysia, and Italy have been among the top 20 source markets for inbound China travel in 2023. The most booked destinations in China are Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Suzhou, Langfang, Dongguan, and Wuhan.

“We were really excited about the growth opportunity for China’s inbound tourism sector as result of this news and these initial figures are very encouraging,” Founder & CEO of DidaTravel Rikin Wu said.

Thanks to proactive policies like this, that create a strong business environment for tourism, we can unlock the full potential of the demand that exists to experience China.

As one of the pioneering B2B hotel distributors in China, we are committed to supporting our global partners with our expertise and leading portfolio of products in China – including not only hotels but also tours, experiences and transfers.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors from all over the world and exploring new opportunities for collaboration within the country’s ever-evolving tourism industry.”