Inbound tourism to China surges 38 % in first week of 2026 under expanded visa-free scheme
Visa-free entries hit 292,000 over New-Year break as China’s ‘convenience ecosystem’ takes shape
Malaysia Airlines resumes Kuala Lumpur–Chengdu flights, leveraging new mutual visa-free regime
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‘Longest ever’ nine-day Spring Festival drives 63 % surge in outbound air-ticket bookings
Travel-platform data show domestic and outbound flight bookings for the 9-day Spring Festival holiday have already exceeded three million, 20 % above 2025 levels. Outbound demand is up 63 %, led by Seoul, Hong Kong and Bangkok. The rush will test airline capacity and requires companies to adjust production and mobility plans.
Shenzhen Airlines flight returns to stand after taxi-out fault, highlighting operational resilience
Shenzhen Airlines confirmed that flight ZH9881 returned to the gate after a minor technical fault during taxi-out on 12 January and departed safely after repairs. The delay underscores the operational strains of China’s quick capacity build-up and serves as a caution for business travellers to keep buffer time in itineraries.
China’s outbound travel forecast to add 10 million trips in 2026, but Japan visits could halve
A China Trading Desk survey released on 11 January says mainland residents are likely to make up to 175 million overseas trips in 2026—10 million more than last year—thanks to a stronger yuan and expanding visa-free access. Yet travel to Japan could drop by nearly half because of political tensions, pushing Chinese tourists toward South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. Airlines and retailers are already shifting capacity and marketing budgets accordingly.
Greek Consulate in Guangzhou reopens Schengen visa slots for trips departing before March
The Greek Consulate in Guangzhou will restart accepting visa applications on 12 January for Chinese residents of its jurisdiction, provided travel is solely to Greece and departs before 31 March 2026. The limited reopening eases a bottleneck created when Greece closed all mainland visa centres on 1 January.
Beijing touts foreign-friendly upgrades as inbound arrivals top 20 million in 2025
A Xinhua interview published 11 January highlights visa-free entry, 240-hour transit waivers and digital-payment upgrades that helped Beijing exceed 20 million port movements in 2025, with foreigners making up 30 percent. The city says new ‘one-stop’ airport services and wider card acceptance are removing pain points for business visitors.
Chinese national detained at Indo-Nepal border underscores tighter land-crossing checks
Border forces in Uttar Pradesh apprehended a Chinese woman on 11 January for attempting to enter India from Nepal without documents, reviving concerns about illegal crossings and highlighting tougher scrutiny of Chinese business travellers. Corporates moving staff through the Indo-Nepal corridor should expect more checks and factor longer visa lead times.
First week of 2026 sees flurry of China–Europe freight-train departures, boosting over-land mobility of goods
Global Times reports that multiple China–Europe freight trains departed during the first week of January, inaugurating 2026’s schedule and underscoring rail’s growing role in moving high-value goods across Eurasia. The trend improves cost and timing options for companies relocating staff and equipment between China and European hubs.