China started 2026 with a surge in foreign visitors, highlighting the impact of its expanded visa-free programme and 240-hour transit-without-visa policy. Ministry of Public Security statistics released on 18 January show that 29.2 million border crossings were recorded during the three-day New-Year holiday, of which 829,000 were foreign nationals. Crucially, 292,000 of those foreigners—35.8 % more than a year earlier—entered under one of China’s growing visa-exemption schemes.
Travel-booking platform Qunar reports that non-Chinese passport-holders booked flights to 97 mainland cities over the break, indicating that tourists are venturing well beyond the traditional gateways of Beijing and Shanghai. The most searched secondary destinations were Chengdu, Xi’an and Guilin, each benefiting from better air connectivity and promotional campaigns that combine cultural immersion with digital-payment tutorials.
The rebound follows Beijing’s decision in late 2025 to extend unilateral 15- and 30-day visa waivers for more than 45 countries until the end of 2026 and to enlarge the list of ports offering 240-hour transit-visa waivers to 65. Airports and local tourism boards have raced to add multilingual signage, overseas-card payment terminals and chatbot-based visitor services.
![China’s inbound tourism roars back: visa-free arrivals up 35.8 % at New-Year opening]()
For multinational employers the surge matters because it eases the logistics of sending technicians, auditors and sales staff into China on short notice. Mobility managers should, however, remind travellers that visa-free entry bars work activities and that overstays incur daily fines of RMB 500 up to RMB 10,000. Companies expecting extended assignments must still pursue the Z-visa/Work-Permit route.
At this stage, travellers who do need a formal visa—whether for multiple entries, specialised work assignments or extended study—can lean on VisaHQ for turnkey assistance. Through its dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service walks applicants through the exact documentation required, arranges consular appointments and offers secure courier options, trimming days off the typical processing cycle.
Analysts at Ctrip Research expect total foreign arrivals to reach 38 million in 2026—still only 60 % of the 2019 peak but enough to restore air-route profitability and accelerate China’s domestic push towards service exports.
Travel-booking platform Qunar reports that non-Chinese passport-holders booked flights to 97 mainland cities over the break, indicating that tourists are venturing well beyond the traditional gateways of Beijing and Shanghai. The most searched secondary destinations were Chengdu, Xi’an and Guilin, each benefiting from better air connectivity and promotional campaigns that combine cultural immersion with digital-payment tutorials.
The rebound follows Beijing’s decision in late 2025 to extend unilateral 15- and 30-day visa waivers for more than 45 countries until the end of 2026 and to enlarge the list of ports offering 240-hour transit-visa waivers to 65. Airports and local tourism boards have raced to add multilingual signage, overseas-card payment terminals and chatbot-based visitor services.
For multinational employers the surge matters because it eases the logistics of sending technicians, auditors and sales staff into China on short notice. Mobility managers should, however, remind travellers that visa-free entry bars work activities and that overstays incur daily fines of RMB 500 up to RMB 10,000. Companies expecting extended assignments must still pursue the Z-visa/Work-Permit route.
At this stage, travellers who do need a formal visa—whether for multiple entries, specialised work assignments or extended study—can lean on VisaHQ for turnkey assistance. Through its dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service walks applicants through the exact documentation required, arranges consular appointments and offers secure courier options, trimming days off the typical processing cycle.
Analysts at Ctrip Research expect total foreign arrivals to reach 38 million in 2026—still only 60 % of the 2019 peak but enough to restore air-route profitability and accelerate China’s domestic push towards service exports.
