Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 7th During the National Day holiday in 2026, Chinese tourists went abroad to enjoy the distant scenery; while foreign tourists came to China from all over the world to experience the natural scenery and humanistic history of the land of China.
The visa-free policy continues to expand, international routes are becoming more densely populated, and cross-border payments are becoming more convenient... Multiple benefits have lowered the threshold for cross-border travel. During this National Day holiday, Chinese and foreign tourists traveled in both directions, sensing each other's beauty through cultural and tourism exchanges, and reaping the fruits of friendship through close exchanges.
Cross-border passenger flow continues to increase
Sharon Benjamin, an Australian businessman who has visited China many times, came to China during China's National Day with a new purchasing plan. He has been engaged in the business of environmentally friendly daily necessities for a long time, and the travel convenience brought by visa exemption allows him to travel between the two places at any time. Data from Air China's Melbourne Sales Department shows that the current capacity of Melbourne's direct route to Beijing has increased significantly compared with last year, and the popularity of inquiries to China in the local market continues to grow.
On October 1, foreign tourists experienced the intangible cultural heritage bamboo pole dance in the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone in Sanya, Hainan Province. Published by Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Chen Wenwu)
China's visa-free policy continues to expand, which is allowing more and more foreign tourists to choose to "visit China." The visa preparation time for tourists has been significantly shortened, making traveling to China more convenient. Judging from the customs clearance data at the airport port, many foreign tourists who enjoy the visa-free policy only need a few minutes to clear customs.
According to statistics from the National Immigration Administration, during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday that just passed, the number of people arriving from China and abroad increased by 16.8% year-on-year; among them, foreigners increased by 37.7% compared with the same period last year, and the number of inbound foreigners who were eligible for the visa-free policy increased by 32.7% compared with the same period last year. During the holiday, the demand for cross-border family visits, leisure travel, and business travel increased superimposedly.
The data also shows that from January to August 2026, border inspection agencies across the country inspected a total of 499 million people entering and exiting the country, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%. Among them, 61.287 million were foreigners, a year-on-year increase of 19.5%. There were 23.72 million foreigners entering the country without visas, a year-on-year increase of 26.8%. The visa-free policy continues to release dividends and create convenient conditions for foreign tourists to come to China.
At the same time, as more countries and regions provide visa convenience to Chinese tourists, the outbound destinations of Chinese tourists have become more diverse. At the Mohan Port in Yunnan, the core connection point of the China-Laos Railway, an average of 12 cross-border passenger trains pass through during the National Day holidays. Many Chinese tourists take the trains between China and Laos.
Tourism exchanges become more diversified
During the China National Day holiday, on the streets of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, many Chinese tourists came to this city full of Central European style to explore the local world cultural heritage and natural landscapes. Tour guide Theo Shmrkic said that the number of Chinese tourists is increasing rapidly.
Martina Bienenfeld, director of the Zagreb City Tourism Bureau, said that in September this year, the number of Chinese tourists received by the local area increased by 7% year-on-year, and the number of overnight tourists increased by 8% year-on-year. In early September, direct flights from Beijing to Zagreb were implemented for the first time and the effect was obvious. In addition to more Chinese tourists visiting, the number of Croatian people traveling to China is also increasing.
In South America, which is far away from China, tourism exchanges between China and Brazil are further heating up. In the first eight months of this year, the number of Chinese tourists received by Brazil increased by 73.3% year-on-year, exceeding the full year of 2025.
The local tourism market is also actively adapting to the needs of Chinese tourists. As the first batch of members of the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance, the Brazilian city of Iguazu promotes local tourism resources to Chinese tourists through Chinese social platforms. UnionPay International cooperates with Brazilian partners to launch local digital UnionPay cards. The China-Brazil cross-border QR code interconnection project has launched a trial run. A series of measures are eliminating payment barriers and information gaps in cross-border travel, making travel across the Eastern and Western hemispheres more comfortable and smooth.
At Melbourne Airport in Australia, many passengers travel to China with different expectations. Australian young man Michael is going to Changzhou, Jiangsu, China to attend a friend's wedding. For him, this trip to China is not only a trip, but also an opportunity to visit friends' families and understand life in China.
"I want to try Peking duck." Alexey, who is traveling to China for the first time, is an undergraduate student at a university in Melbourne. He plans to go to Beijing during the China National Day holiday to meet his family there and explore Beijing's delicious food together.
Oresiya Razumnaya, general manager of Russia's Samara Travel Agency, was very moved: "We receive Russians to go to China, and we also serve a large number of Chinese tourists to visit Russia. During our visits, we have truly realized the great vitality of the Chinese cultural tourism market."
Cultural exchanges become more in-depth
Today’s cross-border tourism is shifting from “seeing attractions” to “enhancing experiences”. Foreign tourists who come to China not only visit scenic spots and historic sites, but also visit cities and villages, taste local delicacies, and experience traditional Chinese culture. Chinese tourists go abroad and pay more and more attention to film and television works, literary works, and local daily life.
Hans, a European travel salesman, said: "China has natural scenery, history and culture, as well as very rich food and cultural experiences. These are all things that European tourists are interested in."
According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, China's tourism economic growth in 2025 will be more than twice the global average, with foreign tourists' spending in China increasing by more than 10%.
The travel content of Chinese tourists is also constantly enriched. On the banks of the Thames River in the UK, a Chinese tourist took out a high school English textbook with a photo of Big Ben on the cover, wrote "Happy National Day" and "World Peace" on the page, and then framed the textbook cover with the real scene in front of him. The "landscape" I once read about in textbooks has now become a reality before our eyes.
For many Chinese tourists, traveling is not only about leisure and relaxation, but also includes exploring and experiencing other countries’ cultures. In the UK, filming locations for film and television productions such as the "Harry Potter" series and "Wuthering Heights" have become popular travel destinations. Tourism Scotland recently launched the "National Day Golden Week, Slow Roaming in Scotland" guide on Chinese social media platforms. In addition to introducing food, clothing, housing, transportation and classic attractions, it also recommends tourists to pick pumpkins in pumpkin fields, participate in book festivals, stargazing in forest parks and other special activities.
The "two-way rush" of tourism that occurred around the world during the China National Day holiday was not only reflected in passenger flow data, but also reflected in encounters and exchanges. Chinese and foreign tourists discover more destinations, experience different cultures through cross-border travel, and also increase understanding as they get closer to each other. Tourism is becoming a bridge connecting China and the world.
