reply Korean people come to Shanghai, Thai people come to Chongqing, and the trend of “China Travel” is gr

Over the past year, China's visa-free “circle of friends” has continued to expand, and the visa-free time and scope of regional activities have continued to expand.On November 8, 2024, China implemented a visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and South Korea. During the period from that date to December 31, 2025, holders of ordinary passports from the above nine countries who come to China for doing business, sightseeing and tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transiting through the country for not more than 15 days, can enter China without a visa.On December 17, 2024, the National Immigration Administration of China issued an announcement to fully relax and optimize the policy of visa-free transit with immediate effect, extending the length of stay of visa-free transit foreigners in China from the original 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours (10 days), and at the same time, adding 21 new ports of entry and exit for visa-free transit persons and further expanding the area of stay and activities.With the further expansion of the scope of visa-free countries, the number of tourists from various countries to China is gradually increasing.“Korean Tide” Surge in ShanghaiShanghai has become the first choice of inbound tourists from South Korea. According to the Shanghai “Korean Wave” index released by Tongcheng Travel, the number of South Korean tourists entering Shanghai has been on a clear upward trend since mid-December 2024, and as of early January 2025, the number of tourists entering Shanghai from Busan, South Korea, has increased by more than 115.8% year-on-year.According to the statistics of Shanghai Border Inspection Terminal (SBIT), in 2024, a total of 4.56 million inbound foreigners were inspected at SBIT. Among them, the number of inbound foreigners at the Pudong Airport port reached 3.89 million, ranking first among airports nationwide. According to data from the Tongcheng Research Institute, since December 17, 2024, when the National Immigration Bureau announced that the transit visa-free stay for citizens of 54 countries had been uniformly extended to 240 hours, the number of air ticket orders for South Korean tourists to enter Shanghai has risen significantly, with a year-on-year increase of more than 167.4%. After the entry, the activity areas of Korean tourists in Shanghai are mainly concentrated in Huangpu District, Yangpu District, Xuhui District and Pudong New District, whose activity increased by 366.7%, 52.2%, 40.8% and 16.4% year-on-year respectively.The relevant person in charge of Tongcheng Research Institute analyzed that Huangpu District, as a concentration of sea culture, Yuyuan Garden within the jurisdiction concentrates the essence of Jiangnan gardens of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the Universal Architecture Expo Complex and sparkling night scenery of the Bund area are very attractive to Korean tourists. In addition, the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea is also located in the area, so the concentration of “Korean Wave” in Huangpu District is particularly high. Pudong New Area has a high concentration of Korean Wave because of the location of Shanghai Disneyland, which is one of the must-see attractions for foreign tourists. Meanwhile, the Shanghai World Financial Center, Jinmao Tower and Shanghai Center in the Lujiazui area, as well as the unique shape of the Oriental Pearl Tower, have attracted a large number of Korean tourists.“Thai Style” in ChongqingUnlike Korean tourists who prefer Shanghai, Thai tourists love Chongqing.Since March 2024, the number of Thai tourists to China has tripled compared to 2023 when China and Thailand exchanged visa-free access. Chongqing's unique cityscape and cuisine have long been a “hit” on overseas social media platforms, leading to a “hit” craze. Fans of Chinese movies and TV dramas in Thailand are also clamoring to experience the “Idol Quest” tour, which can be reached after a 3-hour direct flight. By the end of April 2024, the number of registered Thai visitors to Chongqing reached nearly 20,000, an increase of more than 15 times year-on-year.Thai accents can be heard everywhere on the streets of Chongqing. Chongqing residents have posted on the Internet that it is “unusual” to be asked for directions by Thai tourists near Jiefangbei and Guanyinqiao. The owner of a Thai travel company said the most popular destination for Thais at the end of 2024 will be China. If you want to book a tour from Thailand to Chongqing at the end of 2024, sorry, most tours are already fully booked.For many Thai tourists, coming to Chongqing is not only a rewarding visual and taste bud satisfaction, but also a cost-effective travel experience. For example, a survey by the Thai tourism department shows that under the premise of similar itineraries, Thai tourists in China save nearly 1/3 of the cost of expenses than traveling to South Korea.The large number of foreign tourists traveling to China has not only triggered far-reaching impacts on the cultural and economic levels, but is also a testimony to the warming friendship among countries, showing a picture of the future of common development.