During the Spring Festival holidays, crowds of foreign travelers were seen visiting destinations across China. They explored not only major cities like Beijing and Shanghai for the festive atmosphere and heritage sites, but also smaller cities like Leshan in Sichuan province for the stunning giant Buddha statue on a cliff, and Lingshui Li Autonomous County in Hainan province for pristine beaches and a respite from the winter cold.
Driven by visa facilitation policies, diverse cultural and tourism activities, and improved services, foreign visitors' willingness to visit China has increased and peaked during the holidays.
"Yunnan is one of the most beautiful places in China. We enjoyed the province's beautiful scenery, such as the tropical forests, green mountains, and clear lakes. We were also impressed by its friendly people," said Sascha Scholz from Germany, who traveled to Yunnan with his wife and son during the Spring Festival holidays.
"We really love Yunnan's spicy cuisine, such as the pork and beef dishes, and also the sweet and delicious flower cakes filled with fragrant rose paste," said Scholz.
The tourism campaign "Yunnan — A Life with Many Splendors" attracts visitors like them with its stunning views, relaxing hot springs, aromatic local coffees, and diverse culture.
During the Spring Festival holidays, the average daily volume of inbound tourist flight ticket orders to China experienced a year-on-year increase of 21.29 percent, according to online travel agency Trip.com Group. Arriving tourists showed great interest in deep cultural experiences, such as those found in museums and exhibition halls.
Official data showed that in 2025, Yunnan received about 7.86 million inbound arrivals from South and Southeast Asian countries, representing 52.2 percent of total inbound arrivals.
Zhu Jun, deputy director of the Yunnan Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, said: "Yunnan has gradually become the first stop in China for travelers from South and Southeast Asia. Riding the wave of visa-free policies, Yunnan has effectively stimulated the potential and vitality of inbound consumption, registering a strong upward trend in inbound tourism and shopping."
Yang Yaqin, deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy director of the Center for Advanced Public Policy Studies at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, said: "The growing popularity of inbound tourism in Yunnan is mainly driven by four indispensable key factors."
Yang said that China's high-level opening-up policies — including the 240-hour visa-free transit policy — have laid a solid foundation for Yunnan to develop inbound tourism. She added that various government departments, such as entry-exit ports and culture and tourism authorities, have worked together to ensure the personal and property safety of inbound tourists and improve their transportation and travel experience.
She stated that Yunnan's hardworking and hospitable people are committed to providing quality services to both domestic and foreign visitors in areas such as accommodation, dining, and cultural experiences, constituting the strongest guarantee for the sustained growth of Yunnan's inbound tourism.
As an NPC deputy, Yang said she pays great attention to and looks forward to the optimization and expansion of the country's visa-free transit policy. "The permitted stay should be gradually extended to 30 days. The current 240-hour (10-day) stay is far from sufficient for deep experiences in Yunnan, let alone exploring the vast and magnificent landscapes of our motherland," she said.
She suggested that the policy should be gradually relaxed to allow visa-free transit travelers to stay anywhere in the country, regardless of their port of entry. "Government authorities are expected to seize this opportunity to improve their governance and service capabilities to better meet the needs of both domestic and international travelers," Yang said.
Meanwhile, many other regions in China have also achieved notable success in inbound tourism. Gansu province stands out as a prominent example, with its deep Silk Road culture and heritage sites such as the magnificent Mogao Caves in Dunhuang.
In 2025, the province received a total of 393,900 inbound tourist arrivals, representing a year-on-year increase of 60.8 percent compared to 2024, according to official data.
Wang Zhigang, deputy director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said: "We will work with relevant departments to implement inbound tourism promotion campaigns and intensify the international promotion and industrial cooperation of Gansu's cultural and tourism resources. We will also host the Silk Road International Tourism Conference this year." Wang stated that in 2026, the department plans to organize delegations to major source markets — including Malaysia, Singapore, and Germany — to participate in international tourism exhibitions and organize promotional activities. They will also invite representatives from cultural and tourism industries to participate in events such as the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo.