Visitors flock to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven Park on May 17, 2025 ahead of China Tourism Day. Photo: VCG
China celebrated its annual China Tourism Day on Monday with nationwide festivities and a raft of tourism-friendly measures aimed at boosting travel consumption and showcase the country’s growing openness, particularly through enhanced convenience for inbound tourists, which has emerged as a new highlight amid China’s efforts to deepen opening-up.
In Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang Province, the main venue for this year’s festivities featured a series of events, including an intangible cultural heritage exhibition, livestreams, a stage play, the launch of a “silver-hair” tourist train from Ningbo to Xinjiang, and the signing ceremony for the “Hello, China!” inbound tourism partnership agreement, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
According to an earlier release published on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, this year’s China Tourism Month, running from April 21 to May 31, includes various themed events such as cultural benefit programs, promotional activities for inbound tourism and initiatives aimed at optimizing the consumer environment.
The ministry also urged local culture and tourism departments to enhance the inbound travel environment, roll out more facilitation measures and support market players in product innovation and global outreach.
In a related move, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to further ease cross-border travel and boost the global visibility of “China Travel.”
Tong Xuejun, a deputy director general of the Department of Consular Affairs, said in a media interview on Monday that China’s door to high-level opening-up will only open wider, and the ministry will continue to facilitate the movement of people between China and other countries, Xinhua reported.
Tong said the ministry is expediting negotiations on visa waiver and facilitation agreements, exploring the expansion of the visa-free entry list, and advancing the full digitalization of visa applications. These efforts aim to make it easier for Chinese citizens to travel abroad while ensuring that foreign visitors enjoy smooth and convenient travel into China, according to Xinhua.
Tourist destinations across the country launched special campaigns to celebrate the day. According to a press release sent to the Global Times, Shanghai Disneyland marked China Tourism Day with major updates, including a groundbreaking ceremony for its upcoming Spider-Man-themed land — a major expansion milestone. The park also announced a lineup of Pixar-themed activities scheduled for June.
In Ningbo, 83 A-level scenic spots offered free admission to residents and tourists on the China Tourism Day. The city also distributed 12.9 million yuan ($1.79 million) in tourism consumption vouchers and collaborated with online booking platforms to offer another 10 million yuan in discounts through coupons, price reductions and other promotions.
Shanghai’s culture and tourism department announced that 56 scenic spots in the city joined a half-price admission campaign from May 17 to 19, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Wild Animal Park, Chenshan Botanical Garden and Haichang Ocean Park.
Since its launch in 2011, the China Tourism Day has grown into a major annual event. “Over the past 15 years, China’s tourism ecosystem has evolved significantly, with new consumption models and travel scenarios continuously emerging,” Jiang Yiyi, a tourism and sports expert at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Monday.
As inbound tourism rebounds, Jiang noted that China has introduced multiple initiatives to ease travel for international visitors — from Beijing’s development of an all-in-one tourism card compatible with Visa for metro use, streamlined tax refund procedures that now offer instant rebates.
Tourism serves as an intuitive and effective medium for cultural exchange. Welcoming more foreign tourists to experience Chinese culture firsthand is a powerful way to strengthen international understanding on the country, Jiang said.
In a release sent to the Global Times, Chinese travel platform Trip.com reported a surge in inbound tourism. Hotel search volume for inbound travelers during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival has more than doubled year-on-year, underscoring China’s growing appeal to overseas tourists. Major source markets include Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the US, Russia, Japan, the UK, Australia and France.
