China records 20% growth in foreign tourist arrivals in H1
BEIJING: China’s international tourism market is showing a strong rebound, with foreign visitor arrivals reportedly rising 20% in the first half of 2026. Around 18 million visitors reportedly arrived from markets covered by China’s visa-free entry programme. South Korea, Russia, Malaysia and Thailand have emerged as important source markets.
Visa liberalisation is becoming an increasingly important competitive tool across Asia. China already provides visa-free access to substantially more markets than India, while Thailand remains one of the region’s easiest destinations for international travellers.
China’s recovery is also directly relevant to the regional aviation network. TheTravigator previously reported an 1,800% surge in India–China air passenger traffic, while another analysis examined how the India–China aviation corridor is rewiring Asia’s travel map.
Why it matters: Visa liberalisation is once again proving to be a major demand-generation tool. China’s recovery could materially alter regional visitor flows, aviation capacity and hotel demand across Northeast and Southeast Asia.
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