China’s National Immigration Administration recorded 45.9 million border crossings by foreigners in 1H2026, up 20.6 per cent year-on-year, according to Chinese state media Zhejiang China.
The mid-July report added that visa-free entries accounted for 77.7 per cent of foreign arrivals, with the top 10 countries of origin being South Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the US, Japan, Mongolia and Australia.
Digital marketing solutions and technology company Dragon Trail International, which launched its China Travel Course certification programme in 2021, told TTG Asia that close to 19,000 users, including around 3,000 registered travel trade professionals, have signed up.
Sienna Parulis-Cook, marketing and communications director, noted: “Among overseas users, the countries with the highest participation are Malaysia, Germany, the US, and France.”
The course is also widely used by travel agents in China, including those from Trip.com Group.
Apart from the basics, the course focuses on Chinese culture, history and landscapes, such as the Yellow River and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
“A recent module on video game-themed tourism is quite interesting, with a guide to destinations featured in popular games like Black Myth: Wukong and Honor of Kings (two of the most successful video games developed in China),” Parulis-Cook shared.
Meanwhile, foreign visitors in China can now access Chinese mobile payment platforms Alipay or WeChat Pay with foreign bank cards to pay for their purchases.
Parulis-Cook commented that Alipay is easier and more reliable for foreign visitors.
“Alipay also has something called Alipay+ where they’re integrated with a number of overseas digital payment wallets, allowing users of wallets like South Korea’s Kakao Pay to pay directly by scanning Alipay QR codes in China.”
