Foreign Tourists Turn to China to Escape Summer Heat as Visa Facilitation Opens New Destinations
Dragon Media News Desk
As extreme heat grips many parts of the world, China’s mountainous regions and lesser-known tourism destinations are emerging as attractive alternatives for foreign travelers seeking cooler weather. Expanded visa-free entry, convenient transportation and improved tourism services are also encouraging visitors to explore cities, rural areas and local communities beyond the country’s traditional tourist attractions.
Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, central China’s Hunan Province, is one example. Located more than 1,500 meters above sea level, the area generally experiences summer temperatures of around 22 to 26 degrees Celsius, attracting increasing numbers of visitors from Europe and other regions. Many tourists are drawn by the combination of cooler weather, natural scenery and opportunities to experience local life.
Similar trends are visible from Jizhou District in northern China’s Tianjin Municipality to Nanjing in eastern China. Foreign visitors are increasingly moving beyond famous landmarks to explore rural guesthouses, local markets, public parks and places associated with the everyday lives of local residents. Tourism operators say younger independent travelers, visits to smaller cities and villages, and longer stays are becoming increasingly common.
China’s rapid technological development is also becoming a new tourism attraction. Some overseas visitors have expressed interest in touring Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, robotics facilities and major technology companies. The trend suggests that tourism in China is expanding beyond natural and cultural attractions to include industrial and technology-related experiences.
China’s expanded visa facilitation measures have played an important role in the growth of inbound tourism. In the first half of this year, the country recorded 22.91 million inbound visits by foreign nationals, an increase of 20.4 percent year on year. Of those visits, 77.7 percent were made under various visa-free entry arrangements.
From August 20, citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were also included in China’s 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, bringing the number of eligible countries to 57. Qualified travelers continuing to a third country or region may enter through designated ports and remain in approved areas for up to 240 hours, or 10 days, without obtaining a visa. Citizens of both countries have also become eligible for 30-day visa-free entry to Hainan Province.
Chinese cities are simultaneously upgrading tourism infrastructure to accommodate the rising number of international visitors. Suzhou in Jiangsu Province has introduced incentives for travel agencies and online tourism platforms that arrange overnight stays and tours for foreign visitors. Shanghai has launched AI-powered smart tourism kiosks that integrate information on transportation, hotels, dining, ticketing and shopping while providing multilingual services and support for payments using foreign bank cards.
Zhangjiajie received 860,700 inbound visitors from 195 countries and regions between January and July, up 19.01 percent year on year. Tourism-related foreign exchange revenue during the period reached 98.52 million U.S. dollars.
Despite rapid growth, language services and access to information remain challenges. Tourism authorities in Zhangjiajie have partnered with local universities to prepare English, Korean and other foreign-language training materials while organizing evening language classes for frontline tourism workers.
The latest trends show that foreign interest in China is no longer concentrated only on Beijing, Shanghai or well-known historical landmarks. A combination of cooler natural environments, rural experiences, technological development and easier entry policies is making China’s tourism market more diverse and encouraging international travelers to explore the country in greater depth.
