Visa-free policies fuel 35.3% surge in Beijing's inbound tourism

A Russian tourist interacts with a robot at a store of Unitree Robotics in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

Beijing received a total of 2.667 million inbound tourists in the first five months of this year, up 35.3 percent year-on-year, demonstrating the rising popularity of "China Travel."

As of May 11, the number of exits and entries by foreign nationals at Beijing ports had surpassed 2.55 million, accounting for 32 percent of the total inbound and outbound passenger volume and registering a year-on-year growth of 33.6 percent. As of the same date, about 957,000 foreign arrivals at Beijing ports had entered under visa-free or temporary entry permit policies, accounting for 70.8 percent of all foreign entrants. Most inbound visits are for purposes of tourism, business, and visiting relatives and friends. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)