The latest figures have revealed a significant increase in the number of foreign visitors to various Chinese cities in recent months, as a result of more tailored measures provided to facilitate the entry and stay of visa-exempt foreigners.
The 474 million trips – raking in RMB 632.69 billion of tourism-related revenue – during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday indisputably signifies both the vitality of China’s economy and the huge potential of the country’s domestic consumption.
Of the overseas destinations, Singapore and Thailand may be the biggest winners after China recently announced the mutual exemption of visas with these two countries.
The agreement was a major outcome during the first meeting of consultation mechanism between the ministers of foreign affairs of Thailand and China, which was held in Bangkok.
Chinese travelers have shown ever-increasing enthusiasm for traveling abroad this year, and the trend is on track to become more prominent for the rest of the year, fueling a growing demand for visa applications.