Speaking at the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) in Harbin on 16 December, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) interim CEO Gloria Guevara singled out China’s unilateral visa-waiver programme and expanded 240-hour transit rules as “game-changers” for global mobility. China now offers 30-day visa-free entry to travellers from 40+ countries and 10-day transit stays to citizens of 55 nations through 65 ports—measures the WTTC says are powering a double-digit rebound in inbound demand.
WTTC modelling forecasts the country’s travel & tourism sector will generate US$1.9 trillion in 2025—15.8 percent growth and twice the global average—before topping US$3.8 trillion by 2035. Inbound spending alone is projected at US$144 billion next year. China is on track to overtake the United States as the world’s largest tourism market by 2031, supporting 103 million domestic jobs.
For mobility managers the headline is simpler: visa administration is rapidly becoming less of a barrier for conferences, incentive trips and factory audits on the mainland. The WTTC noted investors are already funnelling capital into secondary airports and hospitality assets in anticipation of a sustained recovery.
![WTTC Hails China’s Visa-Free Push as Tourism GDP Nears US$1.9 Trillion]()
For organisations and individual travellers seeking to take advantage of these streamlined entry rules, VisaHQ offers a one-stop portal for checking eligibility, completing digital applications and tracking real-time changes to Chinese visa policies. Their dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides up-to-date guidance on the 30-day waiver, transit exemptions and longer-stay permits, making business travel arrangements faster and markedly less stressful.
Harbin, showcased at the forum, illustrates the opportunity. The winter-festival city drew 90 million visitors last season and grew tourist spending by 17 percent. Airlines have since applied for 12 additional international frequencies to Harbin Taiping Airport for the 2026 snow-sculpture season.
The council also announced an MoU with the GTEF secretariat to advise Chinese provincial governments on sustainable visa facilitation—signalling that further policy tweaks (for example, multi-year digital visas) may be piloted in 2026.
WTTC modelling forecasts the country’s travel & tourism sector will generate US$1.9 trillion in 2025—15.8 percent growth and twice the global average—before topping US$3.8 trillion by 2035. Inbound spending alone is projected at US$144 billion next year. China is on track to overtake the United States as the world’s largest tourism market by 2031, supporting 103 million domestic jobs.
For mobility managers the headline is simpler: visa administration is rapidly becoming less of a barrier for conferences, incentive trips and factory audits on the mainland. The WTTC noted investors are already funnelling capital into secondary airports and hospitality assets in anticipation of a sustained recovery.
For organisations and individual travellers seeking to take advantage of these streamlined entry rules, VisaHQ offers a one-stop portal for checking eligibility, completing digital applications and tracking real-time changes to Chinese visa policies. Their dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides up-to-date guidance on the 30-day waiver, transit exemptions and longer-stay permits, making business travel arrangements faster and markedly less stressful.
Harbin, showcased at the forum, illustrates the opportunity. The winter-festival city drew 90 million visitors last season and grew tourist spending by 17 percent. Airlines have since applied for 12 additional international frequencies to Harbin Taiping Airport for the 2026 snow-sculpture season.
The council also announced an MoU with the GTEF secretariat to advise Chinese provincial governments on sustainable visa facilitation—signalling that further policy tweaks (for example, multi-year digital visas) may be piloted in 2026.
