In the third quarter of 2026, China inspected 192 million entry-exit personnel, marking a 7.9% increase from the previous year, according to data released by the National Immigration Administration. Among inbound foreigners, 8.992 million entered China under visa-free policies during Q3, accounting for 77.5% of all inbound foreigners, an increase of 24.1% year on year.
Visa-free policies currently apply to citizens of 57 countries under the 240-hour transit arrangement and to 61 countries eligible for Hainan’s 30-day inbound visa-free access as of August 20, 2026. Notably, China extended the visa-free policy for Russian nationals until the end of 2027, while
most other visa-free policies expire on December 31, 2026. Brunei’s visa-free policy holds no set expiration date.
Inbound Tourist Numbers and Spending Levels
China recorded 150 million visitor arrivals in 2026, maintaining a high volume of inbound tourism. However, per capita tourism spending remains relatively low at 357.3 US dollars. In 2025, inbound tourism arrivals reached 154.5 million person-times, with the same per capita consumption value, which represents only 29.1% of the global average.
Data sourced from the Ctrip platform shows growth in 2026 continued, with inbound arrivals in the first half up 49.72% year-on-year and consumption rising 44.01%. Despite this growth, spending increases lag behind
the rise in tourist numbers, underscoring a structural challenge in boosting inbound tourism revenue.
Challenges in Inbound Tourism Consumption
The inbound tourism sector faces a notable contradiction: large visitor volumes coincide with low-value spending. Experts such as Xu Peng, Vice Chairman of the World Tourism Alliance and Chairman of the Zhejiang Tourism Association, identified short stays and limited depth of consumption as key factors.
Typical tourist expenditures often involve economic Chinese experiences like subway rides, rented shared bicycles, and popular local foods such as jianbing guozi and zhajiangmian. For instance, shared bicycle rides start at under 2 yuan for up to 60 minutes, confirming foreign
tourists’ impressions of affordability.
Premium guided tours with quality services cost approximately 3,000 yuan per capita for a two-day itinerary, which remains moderate compared to similar offerings. Nonetheless, a growing number of foreign visitors prefer independent travel and engage with cultural trends like ‘Becoming Chinese’ and ‘China Maxxing,’ which influence their itinerary choices but do not significantly increase spending.
Wang Jun, Vice Director-General of the General Administration of Customs, linked the cultural boom to increased exports of thermos flasks and tea, with volumes of 5 billion yuan and 2.7 billion yuan respectively in Q1 2026. However, such cultural engagement translates
to low expenditure per tourist during visits.
Obstacles in Digital Services and Policy Responses
Foreign tourists encounter difficulties in using China’s digital payment and service platforms. Problems include confusion distinguishing different QR codes for transport and payments, language barriers on apps like Alipay, and challenges booking services or completing transactions. For example, tourists struggle with identifying QR codes for subway entry versus shared bicycle rentals, and some fail to use ride-hailing apps due to app interface and operational complexities.
Lai Yang, an expert from the China General Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that addressing these barriers requires enabling foreign tourists to use payment, e-commerce, ticket booking, and food
delivery platforms equivalently to domestic consumers. Otherwise, increased digitalization may further hinder inbound tourism consumption.
In March 2026, nine government departments including the Ministry of Commerce issued the ‘Policy Measures on Promoting Travel Service Exports and Expanding Inbound Consumption.’ These policies aim to enhance inter-regional data connectivity, improve digital services convenience for foreign visitors, and foster growth in inbound tourism revenue.
