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News & Updates
- China to Announce Enhanced Tax Refund Measures as Cross-Province 'Shop-and-Refund' Expands to 6 ProvincesMay 16,2026China to Announce Enhanced Tax Refund Measures as Cross-Province 'Shop-and-Refund' Expands to 6 Provinces
China's State Council Information Office will hold a press conference at 3:00 PM on May 18, where Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping, together with officials from the State Taxation Administration and the municipal governments of Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, will introduce measures to "strengthen and optimize departure tax refund policies and expand inbound consumption." The announc - Beijing Daxing Airport Hits 20M Passengers, Adding Milan-Lisbon-Bali Routes as Foreign Travelers Surge 40%May 16,2026Beijing Daxing Airport Hits 20M Passengers, Adding Milan-Lisbon-Bali Routes as Foreign Travelers Surge 40%
Beijing Daxing International Airport crossed the 20 million passenger mark on May 14—six days ahead of its 2025 pace—with daily peaks setting all-time records. More significantly for the inbound tourism industry, the airport's foreign passenger count has surged over 40% year-on-year, and three major new international routes launching in June will further expand its reach into Europe and Sou - China Tourism Day 2026: 100+ Scenic Sites Go Half-Price May 17-19 as Nation Prepares for Peak Inbound WeekendMay 15,2026China Tourism Day 2026: 100+ Scenic Sites Go Half-Price May 17-19 as Nation Prepares for Peak Inbound Weekend
The 16th China Tourism Day falls on May 19, 2026, and the promotional push is unprecedented in scale. From Shanghai's 56 half-price attractions to Chongqing's 30+ free-entry sites, from Disney's specially priced afternoon tickets to Jiuzhaigou's combination discounts, scenic areas across the country are rolling out their most aggressive pricing of the year. - From Sightseeing to Immersion: How 'Chinamaxxing' Is Rewriting Inbound TravelMay 15,2026From Sightseeing to Immersion: How 'Chinamaxxing' Is Rewriting Inbound Travel
On May 10, TikTok travel blogger Christian Grossi posted a video about his China trip. He did not point his camera at the Great Wall or the Forbidden City. Instead, he filmed himself at a rural guesthouse in Guilin—mountains and water in the background, a cup of unexpectedly good coffee in hand. - WTTC Predicts China Will Overtake US as World's Largest Tourism Economy by 2030May 14,2026WTTC Predicts China Will Overtake US as World's Largest Tourism Economy by 2030
The World Travel & Tourism Council has issued its most definitive forecast yet: China is on track to overtake the United States as the world's largest tourism economy within three to four years. The projection, backed by data from WTTC and its research partner Chase Travel (JPMorgan Chase), marks a turning point in global tourism economics—and the numbers explain why. - 2026 World Mayor Dialogue·Chengdu: 26 Nations Gather as China's Western Hub Opens WiderMay 14,20262026 World Mayor Dialogue·Chengdu: 26 Nations Gather as China's Western Hub Opens Wider
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is hosting two landmark international events this week that signal a broader shift in China's tourism geography: the 2026 World Mayor Dialogue·Chengdu (May 13-15) and the 2026 Chengdu International Sister City Cooperation and Development Conference (May 14-16). - China Travel Day 2026 Launches 'Inbound-Friendly' Campaign With Major Platform PerksMay 13,2026China Travel Day 2026 Launches 'Inbound-Friendly' Campaign With Major Platform Perks
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has unveiled the "Inbound-Friendly 5·19" campaign for the 2026 China Travel Day, running from April 23 through May 31. Announced on May 12 by the Ministry's Market Management Department, the initiative represents the most coordinated cross-platform push yet to make China's inbound tourism ecosystem genuinely frictionless—and it arrives just as the country's inbound market - From 'China Travel' to 'China Shopping': Buying Spree Becomes the New Inbound Tourism EngineMay 13,2026From 'China Travel' to 'China Shopping': Buying Spree Becomes the New Inbound Tourism Engine
A quiet revolution is underway in China's inbound tourism market. Foreign visitors are no longer coming just to see the Great Wall or the Terracotta Warriors—they are coming to shop. And the data suggests "China Shopping" is rapidly becoming as significant an economic force as "China Travel."
Online travel platform data shows inbound tour orders surged 173 percent year-on-year ahead of the 2026 May Day h - Beyond Beijing and Shanghai: Inbound Tourism Surges in China's Second-Tier CitiesMay 12,2026Beyond Beijing and Shanghai: Inbound Tourism Surges in China's Second-Tier Cities
The map of China's inbound tourism is being redrawn. While Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou remain the foundation of foreign arrivals, a powerful "going west, going deep" trend is pushing international visitors into cities that rarely appeared on any foreign itinerary just two years ago. - "Becoming Chinese" Sweeps Global Social Media: How a Cup of Hot Water Unlocked Billions in Consumer SpendingMay 12,2026"Becoming Chinese" Sweeps Global Social Media: How a Cup of Hot Water Unlocked Billions in Consumer Spending
News Category
Viral & Trends
Executive Summary
Chinese American creator Sherry Zhu's "Becoming Chinese" series has gone viral on TikTok, inspiring millions of global users to adopt Chinese daily lifestyle routines, from drinking hot water and wearing slippers to avoiding raw vegetables in winter, brewing goji berry tea, and practicing tai chi. - 2026 May Day Holiday Travel Surge: Rail Network Runs 13,000 Daily Trains with Overnight High-Speed Services AddedMay 12,20262026 May Day Holiday Travel Surge: Rail Network Runs 13,000 Daily Trains with Overnight High-Speed Services Added
News Category
Events & Updates
Executive Summary
The 2026 May Day holiday (May 1-5) is seeing a major travel surge, with China's rail network running approximately 13,000 passenger trains per day and launching overnight high-speed services on major routes for the first time on a large scale. - China's Upgraded Departure Tax Refund Policy Takes Effect July 1, 2026May 12,2026China's Upgraded Departure Tax Refund Policy Takes Effect July 1, 2026
China is set to significantly upgrade its departure tax refund system starting July 1, 2026, as the Ministry of Finance, General Administration of Customs, and State Taxation Administration jointly implement the upgraded policy (Circular Cai Shui [2026] No. - China Expands 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: 76 Countries for Visa-Free Entry, 55 Nations Enjoy 10-Day Transit ConvenienceMay 12,2026China Expands 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: 76 Countries for Visa-Free Entry, 55 Nations Enjoy 10-Day Transit Convenience
News Category
Policy & Visa Updates
Executive Summary
China continues to upgrade its visa facilitation policies: unilateral visa-free entry now covers 76 countries, the 240-hour transit visa exemption applies to 55 nations at 65 ports, and visa-free foreign entries exceeded 30.08 million in 2025, surging 49.5% year-on-year. - Brazil Grants Visa-Free Entry to Chinese Citizens Starting May 11, 2026May 11,2026Brazil Grants Visa-Free Entry to Chinese Citizens Starting May 11, 2026
A new chapter in China–South America travel opened on May 11, 2026, as Brazil's visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens officially took effect. The reciprocal measure, announced by the Brazilian government on May 7, allows holders of valid ordinary passports from the People's Republic of China to enter Brazil without a visa for stays of up to 30 days, non-extendable, through December 31, 2026. - ITB China 2026 Sells Out with 20% Expansion as Global Travel Industry Bets Big on ChinaMay 11,2026ITB China 2026 Sells Out with 20% Expansion as Global Travel Industry Bets Big on China
The 2026 edition of ITB China, the country's premier B2B travel trade show, has sold out all exhibition space with a 20 percent increase in net area compared to last year—underscoring the global travel industry's growing confidence in China's inbound and outbound tourism market. - China May Day 2026: Visa-Free Entries Hit 436,000 as Cross-Border Travel SurgesMay 10,2026China May Day 2026: Visa-Free Entries Hit 436,000 as Cross-Border Travel Surges
China's extended visa-free policies drove a sharp rise in international arrivals during the May Day holiday, with nearly 436,000 foreign visitors entering the country without a visa—a 14.7 percent jump from the same period last year. - Foreign Tourists Go Viral Exploring China's Hidden Gems Beyond the Great WallMay 10,2026Foreign Tourists Go Viral Exploring China's Hidden Gems Beyond the Great Wall
A Russian soccer fan traveling to Jiangsu province to watch the "Su Super League"—an amateur competition—then joining locals for morning Baduanjin exercises. A Vietnamese first-time visitor spending her evenings exploring night markets in the border city of Dongxing, Guangxi, sampling street food and sharing clips with thousands of followers back home. - China Visa-Free Policy Covers 50+ Countries Through 2026 as Q1 Entries Surge 29.3%May 9,2026China Visa-Free Policy Covers 50+ Countries Through 2026 as Q1 Entries Surge 29.3%
China's ambitious visa-free entry program continues to reshape inbound tourism in 2026, with unilateral visa-free access now extended to citizens of over 50 countries through the end of the year. The latest data from the National Immigration Administration confirms that the policy is delivering extraordinary results — 8.315 million foreign visitors entered China visa-free in Q1 2026 alone, a 29.3% year-on-year inc
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