Third in the Series of Observations on the Boom in Travel to China —

South Korean Tourists Surge Over 900%, Travel to China Becomes a New International Trend

"The mountains of Zhangjiajie are 'covered' with South Koreans." A joking remark recently popular on Chinese social media captures South Korean tourists' fondness for Zhangjiajie in Hunan. Statistics from South Korea's Ministry of Justice show that 142,000 South Korean tourists visited China in January this year, an increase of 908.7% over the same period last year.

"As a famous scenic and historic site in China, Zhangjiajie frequently appears in South Korean films, TV dramas and variety shows, filling South Korean viewers with curiosity about it." Li Suxi, a person in charge at Hanatour, South Korea's largest travel agency, said in an interview with People's Daily Online that March to May is the peak season for South Korean tourists traveling to China, with natural scenic areas such as Zhangjiajie and Changbai Mountain especially popular. Zhangjiajie's popularity is particularly high, with consumers under 60 accounting for 66% of bookings for Zhangjiajie travel products.

Since the beginning of this year, the trend of South Korean tourists traveling to China has continued to rise. Li Suxi said that in the first quarter of this year, the company handled 580,000 overseas group tourists, up 105% year on year. Since March, the number of group tourists traveling to China has grown significantly, up 38% month on month.

A relevant person in charge of the China market department at Korean Air said that as of April this year, Korean Air had resumed operations on 19 routes covering 17 cities in the Chinese mainland. "In 2024, we expect more South Korean tourists to travel to China, and 2024 is expected to be the first year of recovery for China-South Korea tourism."

"What attracts me most about China is the diversity of its cities and regions. China is vast in territory and rich in resources, with great regional differences, and every city has its own characteristics." Mr. Guo, a South Korean tourist who just finished a trip to China in March, said, "This diversity in China will keep drawing me to travel there and explore the charm of each place."

In addition to South Korea, the popularity of travel to China among tourists from many other countries is also rising, and the appeal of China's tourism market is gradually strengthening, injecting momentum into the recovery of the global tourism industry.

Data recently released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism show that the visa-free entry policy has had an obvious driving effect. The number of tourists to Beijing from Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg, the six countries covered by the new visa-free policy, has grown substantially, nearly five times that of the same period in 2023.

Recently, the World Tourism Alliance released the "Report on the Prosperity of China's Inbound Tourism Market in the First Half of 2024," noting that after the implementation of the mutual visa exemption policy, travel orders to China from tourists in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand all achieved substantial year-on-year growth.

It is understood that the number of Japanese people traveling to China has recently increased significantly. Taking Japanese who applied for Chinese visas from January to March this year as an example, applications from the Kanto region of Japan alone exceeded 90,000, up about 350% year on year.

According to a report by the Russian News Agency, data provided by the Russian travel service platform OneTwoTrip show that searches by Russian tourists for hotels in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai in April were three times those of the previous month. The website said that among overseas travel destinations, demand for travel to China has grown most significantly, and its popularity is still climbing.

The Australian has reported that China has become one of the most popular travel search destinations for Australians in 2024. In November last year, China and Australia jointly issued the "Joint Outcomes Statement of the Annual China-Australia Prime Ministers' Meeting," which noted that the two countries agreed to open 3- to 5-year multiple-entry visas to tourists and business people on a reciprocal basis. The move was well received by figures in Australia's tourism sector.

Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia, said: "This new visa arrangement will make travel between our two countries easier, allow more Australians to visit China, and is expected to encourage more Chinese tourists and students to come to Australia."

"Amity between nations lies in the affinity between their peoples, and affinity between peoples lies in mutual understanding." Mutual understanding comes from more exchanges, and tourism is regarded as the most dynamic form of people-to-people exchange. As the effects of China's visa-free policies become apparent and various convenience measures such as easy payment are implemented, more and more overseas visitors have come to China this year to learn about it and fall in love with it.

Japanese panda woodcarving artist Yu Akutsu once shared his "China panda trip" in comic form on social media. Some Japanese netizens commented that it looked interesting and was a charming travel route.

"Although I'm back in Japan, my heart seems to have stayed in Sichuan," said Japanese tourist Eiko Endo. "I want to tell more Japanese friends about this trip, so that more people can feel the charm of Sichuan and the panda base and come to like China."

"I like Chinese culture and the 'warmth' of the Chinese people. Every time I go to China, the travel experience is great." Jin Ziling, a South Korean Chinese translator, has always made China her top travel destination. She said that every time she travels in China, it is "new every time she arrives." Each visit, she feels there has been some development and change. Perhaps China's development has brought a sense of stability, or one might say confidence, to its people. "I can always feel a sense of ease and comfort from the Chinese people."

Brian Johnston, a travel writer based in Australia, wrote in an article titled "Why Australians Should Return to This Amazing Country" that China is one of the world's most outstanding countries in terms of scenery, history and culture. In addition, vacationing here offers deep insight into the world's most closely watched country.