144 hours of hard control over foreigners, China Travel has become popular

China's 144-hour transit visa-free policy has attracted a large number of foreign tourists, and social media has shared positive experiences, helping the recovery and internationalization of the cultural and tourism industry.

It is said that the world is a huge Chinatown, because Chinese people appear randomly all over the world. But recently, when you walk into domestic scenic spots, you will most likely see foreigners of all colors, taking photos of tourists in groups, or following the long queues, waiting to taste Chinese street food.

The reason why domestic scenic spots are "full" of foreign tourists is China's 144-hour transit visa exemption policy. According to the Jingzhe Research Institute, since my country implemented the 72/144-hour transit visa exemption policy for Norwegian citizens in November last year, the scope of application of the 144-hour transit visa exemption policy has been expanded to 54 countries.

As a large number of foreigners have started their "China tours" and recorded their "China tours" on social media, topics including "China Travel" and "Foreigners' 144-hour extreme tour of China" have quickly become hot searches on the global Internet.

On social media, foreigners were attracted by "China Travel" and joined the "China Travel Army". Chinese people regarded "watching foreigners travel in China" as a new type of electronic mustard. The domestic cross-border tourism industry has ushered in an "explosion" of inbound tourism. From visa consultation to reception, relevant practitioners have started to do "foreign business", as if experiencing a grand "cultural tourism revival".

1. 144-hour tour of China, mass production of foreign Internet celebrities

As China's visa-free "circle of friends" continues to recover and expand, many netizens on Chinese social media have found that there is a significant increase in foreign tourists around them. From first-tier cities to well-known attractions in the central and western regions, even niche villages and private restaurants that many Chinese have never been to have become check-in destinations for foreign tourists.

According to the data from the National Immigration Administration, in the first quarter of 2024, the number of foreign nationals entering and leaving China reached 13.074 million, up 305.2% year-on-year, and has recovered to 92.46% of the data in the same period of 2019. However, unlike in the past, today's foreign tourists not only arrive in China and start their travel itineraries, but also follow the local customs and occupy Chinese social media.

On social platforms such as Xiaohongshu, there are not only a large number of posts from foreign tourists seeking travel tips, but also many foreign friends who "go on a whim" and record their "China Travel" throughout the journey. Jurian from the Netherlands told Jingzhe Research Institute, "China's visa-free policy for the Netherlands is very convenient. After my girlfriend saw information about China's visa-free policy on social media, we immediately made a 16-day China Travel plan." (Note from Jingzhe Research Institute: People holding ordinary Dutch passports who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days can enter without a visa.)

*Jurian took a photo at the Forbidden City

Jurian is not the only one who has been enthusiastic about traveling to China because of the visa policy. Junny, a Korean living in the UK, also told the Jingzhe Research Institute that she had always wanted to travel to China, but because she was busy with work and exams, she had no time to prepare the materials for the tourist visa and travel guide. After seeing the 144-hour visa-free entry policy, Junny finally made up his mind to start his "China tour" journey.

According to Junny, the process of 144-hour visa-free entry is very convenient. You only need to fill out a temporary entry card and show your departure ticket when entering China. During his 6-day trip in China, Junny visited Shanghai and Hangzhou and tasted Chinese food. He said, "144 hours is not enough. If I have the chance, I will apply for a tourist visa next time to come to China." Junny also said that he is compiling notes about his "experience of 144-hour visa-free entry to China" and hopes to provide some travel tips for other foreign tourists.

In fact, in addition to occupying domestic social platforms, the topic of "China Travel" has also attracted much attention on overseas social platforms. Foreign bloggers can experience the popularity of China travel vlogs shared on video sites such as YouTube as long as they add relevant tags. The public opinion atmosphere of China travel videos going viral has also made more and more foreign friends focus on China, and "China Travel" has become the "traffic code" for many overseas bloggers.

It is worth noting that these immersive travel vlogs and posts are often paired with keywords such as "unexpected" and "never imagined". In various videos and pictures, "foreign Internet celebrities" all lament that China's modern technological development and quality of life have refreshed their cognition.

For example, many foreigners who have never been to China have been instilled with negative impressions such as China's mobile payment is not convenient for foreign tourists to consume; the huge population size and overcrowded cities make the travel experience poor; the hygiene of tourist attractions is worrying and the service is poor.

However, during the actual travel process, the "foreign Internet celebrities" found that China's various services based on mobile Internet are extremely convenient, and the extremely developed public transportation also provides great convenience for China Travel's travel experience. In addition to the huge population size that creates a bustling scene in business districts and scenic spots, the enthusiasm of the Chinese people also allows them to have an unprecedented social experience.

In addition, a safe travel environment is also an issue often mentioned by foreigners. Douyin blogger "Jason in China" once posted a video about "How safe is China at night", which received 835,000 likes. In the comment section, one netizen joked: "The only unsafe things are your wallet and stomach."

The true presentation of social media content breaks through the information cocoon, allowing foreign tourists to feel a strong contrast, which in turn generates the motivation to travel to China. Therefore, the current wave of "foreigners traveling to China" is not only attracted by the 144-hour transit visa exemption policy, but also because more and more foreign tourists, after experiencing it personally, publish their true feelings through social media, completing the "import-to-foreign trade" planting of grass.

This also means that "foreigners traveling to China" has a certain degree of sustainability, thus providing a new direction for the development of the domestic cultural and tourism industry.

2. Busy “foreign business”

As foreign tourists gradually return to China, the most direct beneficiary is undoubtedly the domestic cultural and tourism industry.

According to the data from the Ctrip platform, the number of inbound tour orders from tourists in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg to the mainland of my country has increased by 341% year-on-year this year. Among them, the number of inbound tour orders from Malaysia has increased by 485% year-on-year, the largest increase; the number of inbound tour orders from Germany has increased by 223%, and the number from France has increased by 273%.

Whether it is the Great Wall in Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, or the Yu Garden in Shanghai, they are all crowded with foreign tourists who come from afar to line up to check in. According to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, in the first quarter of this year, Beijing received 469,000 inbound tourists, a year-on-year increase of 3.1 times. According to data from the Shanghai Airport Border Inspection Station, as of June 16, more than 3 million foreign passengers have entered and exited the country through Pudong International Airport this year, an increase of 240% over the same period last year.

Fafa, a foreign language tour guide from Beijing, told Jingzhe Research Institute: "Since the 144-hour transit visa exemption was implemented, many foreigners have chosen to transit in China. Sometimes, there are more foreigners than Chinese on flights to Beijing and Shanghai. As a foreign language tour guide, I also clearly feel that foreigners tend to flock to China for tourism. I have to take 9 foreign tourists on a 'special forces' tour in Beijing in one day. In recent months, almost every week has been fully booked."

*Fafa takes foreign tourists to visit the Great Wall

Foreign tourists' experience in China is rich and unique. According to Fafa, "The foreign friends I recently received kept praising the Beijing roast duck in Spanish when they tried it for the first time. They also showed their athletic talent on the Great Wall and were not afraid of the hot weather. The trip to the Forbidden City was an eye-opener for them. They kept taking photos and learning various historical trivia."

Fafa emphasized that in order to ensure that tourist information, historical and cultural background, etc. can be explained clearly and accurately to foreign tourists, in addition to having good foreign language communication skills, the difficulty of the explanation must be adjusted according to the tourists' foreign language level. When necessary, it is necessary to use easy-to-understand language and avoid using words that may cause misunderstanding or discomfort.

When explaining, we should appropriately combine the cultural background of tourists to enhance their understanding and interest in Chinese culture. In addition, we should also provide necessary life guidance, such as currency exchange, use of local transportation, recommendation of suitable dining options, and asking them to carry their passports.

Fafa introduced to the Jingzhe Research Institute that providing multilingual services, including multilingual versions of tour guides, travel materials and online platforms, is also an important part of improving the experience of foreign tourists. Moreover, unlike the group travel method in the past, foreign tourists now tend to prefer small group tours of 5-15 people or customized itineraries.

In terms of itinerary arrangements, foreign tourists' demands for personalized, in-depth experiences and cultural tourism are also growing. Some in-depth cultural activities, such as experiencing traditional festival customs such as making rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival and visiting local families, are of particular interest to foreign tourists. When Jurian introduced his travel experience to the Jingzhe Institute, he also mentioned that there was a visit to a local family in his itinerary.

Foreign tourists received by Fafa on the streets of Beijing

However, foreign tourists are most concerned about payment. Fafa mentioned that "many foreigners find it difficult to enjoy China's mobile payment services because they do not have ID cards and cannot authenticate their real names." In foreign countries, credit card consumption and ticket purchases through official websites or on-site are inherent habits, but in China, because mobile payment is too convenient, these foreign payment methods are not supported in many scenarios.

Therefore, how to help foreign tourists "seamlessly connect" and experience smart services such as cashless payment and online booking has become an important demand at present. Jurian told Jingzhe Research Institute with a little regret: "My Alipay function is not perfect enough and can only be used to take the subway."

In response, some key merchants in first-tier cities have gradually relaxed the scope of acceptance of foreign bank cards. According to the latest news, more than 80% of major merchants in Beijing and Jiangsu can accept foreign bank cards. Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other places have reached a coverage rate of more than 90%. In addition, Alipay has also launched an "international version" that allows foreign tourists to directly use QR code payment in China.

3. Are you ready for the “Cultural and Tourism Renaissance”?

As "foreigners travel to China" continues to be popular, inbound tourism, as an important part of the cultural and tourism industry, will inevitably bring new development opportunities. Especially for the domestic cultural and tourism industry, which is in a sustained recovery stage, it is particularly important to make full use of this market to enhance its soft power.

Since foreign tourists usually have higher requirements for travel experience, they not only pay attention to the hard power of the scenic spot itself, but also pay attention to the details of the service. Simplifying the visa process, extending the visa validity period, implementing the e-visa and visa-on-arrival policy, and the current 144-hour transit visa exemption are all important prerequisites for attracting foreign tourists.

From a macro perspective, inbound tourism is not only an economic activity, but also a platform for cultural communication and exchange. It can promote mutual understanding and respect between people from different countries and regions, and lay the foundation for international friendly relations. In addition, tourists from different countries and regions often have their own unique cultural backgrounds and consumption preferences, which also puts higher demands on domestic practitioners.

In response to this, many domestic cultural and tourism companies are trying to further tap into local cultural resources, including history, folklore, and intangible cultural heritage, develop tourism products with regional characteristics, strengthen the training of multilingual tour guides and international tourism management talents, and improve the overall service level of the industry in order to attract more diverse inbound tourists.

Innovation in the cultural tourism industry is also invisibly promoting innovation and upgrading of the entire industry. In particular, it helps to promote the extension of tourism from first-tier cities to second- and third-tier cities and rural areas, driving the growth of local employment and characteristic industries. According to the "2024 Spring Festival Holiday Travel Express" released by Fliggy, this year's Spring Festival holiday, among the main destinations for inbound tourists, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Harbin, Xi'an and other cities have become the most popular cities.

Although international metropolises are still the preferred destinations for inbound tourism, some non-first-tier regions have also begun to enter the field of vision of international tourists through a series of actions. For example, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will optimize inbound tourism products and routes this year, carry out tourism exchanges and promotion activities in key overseas source markets such as ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States, strengthen cultural and tourism exchanges with Malacca State, Malaysia, strengthen coordination and communication with Vietnam, and jointly develop tourism routes.

In addition, many airlines have also increased the number of flights and launched tourism service projects for foreign tourists. For example, Spring Travel has launched short-distance routes such as "Exploring Shanghai's Modern History - The Bund + The Bund Source Micro Tour" and "Experiencing Shanghai's Romance and Coffee Culture - Wukang Road Micro Tour" for overseas tourists, and provides English tour guides. Foreign tourists can also learn about Shanghai through citywalk.

Improving the convenience of inbound tourists traveling in China is the key to achieving rapid growth in inbound tourism. Local governments and enterprises have also introduced a series of measures for digital technology applications that foreign tourists focus on, such as the "foreign card internal binding" service, digital RMB solutions, and cross-border payment solutions such as "Alipay+", multi-language versions of travel apps and websites, etc., all of which provide great convenience for foreign tourists. In addition, technologies such as smart guides and VR previews also enable foreign tourists to have an intuitive understanding of the destination before traveling.

With the gradual increase in international routes and the implementation of various visa-free policies and facilitation measures, it is not difficult to see that my country's inbound tourism industry is currently experiencing a strong recovery. As more and more foreign tourists come to China and experience China's unique charm, China's tourism industry will also open a new chapter.

Especially considering the new trends such as leisure travel and reverse travel that have emerged in the domestic tourism market in recent years, the future Chinese tourism market is very likely to form a unique situation in which foreign tourists contract well-known attractions and Chinese tourists flock to unpopular destinations.

Behind the "foreigners' China tour" triggered by the "144-hour transit visa exemption" policy is a long-term cultural output. When "foreign Internet celebrities" help China's popular tourist destinations and famous attractions to promote them, the domestic tourism industry not only needs to respond quickly, continuously innovate and improve service items and quality, seize the market opportunities of inbound tourism, but also needs to seize the opportunity to become a unique window to showcase China's beauty on the world stage.

Author: Early Summer