Inbound Bookings to China Jump 38 % in First Week of 2026 as Visa-Free List Expands
Visa-free arrivals hit 292,000 over New-Year weekend as China’s ‘convenience ecosystem’ takes shape
Inbound tourism to China surges 38 % in first week of 2026 under expanded visa-free scheme
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Beijing quietly warns European capitals to deny visas for Taiwanese officials
Leaked diplomatic correspondence shows China asking at least a dozen European governments to bar Taiwanese cabinet-level officials from entering the Schengen area, citing ‘red lines’. Europe has pushed back, but the move underscores Beijing’s willingness to weaponise visa policy and could complicate business events involving Taiwanese dignitaries.
Malaysia Airlines restores Kuala Lumpur–Chengdu flights as 30-day mutual visa-free travel spurs demand
Malaysia Airlines has reinstated daily non-stops between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu, its seventh Greater-China destination, on the back of the new 30-day China–Malaysia mutual visa-free regime. The route shaves hours off previous one-stop options and signals accelerating two-way business and leisure demand.
Nine-day Spring Festival break sparks 63 % jump in outbound air-ticket bookings
With this year’s Spring Festival spanning 15–23 February, outbound air-ticket bookings are already 63 % higher than last year. Seoul, Hong Kong and Bangkok lead demand, but longer-haul routes are rising fast, signalling renewed traveller confidence and foreshadowing capacity crunches at mainland airports.