China's ”visa exemption” brings 1.988 million foreign visitors to the country... ”New development opportunity for tourism industry” - Chinese media

In China, the number of foreign tourists has been recovering at a faster pace since the beginning of this year, thanks to the resumption of international flights and the implementation of visa exemptions.
According to the National Immigration Bureau, in the first quarter of this year (January-March),
A total of 1,988,000 foreigners used these facilities to visit China, up 266.1% from the same period last year. In addition, the number of visas issued to foreigners during the same period increased 118.8% to 466,000.
China has implemented visa exemptions for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia since December last year, according to online travel agency Ctrip.
In the first quarter of 2024, the number of people entering China from these six countries was about six times that of the same period last year. In addition, the number of people entering China from Singapore and Thailand, which have implemented visa exemption measures since the beginning of this year, has also increased.
Professor Sun Mengyang of the Tourism College of Beijing Union University said that the promotion of policies such as visa exemptions has boosted the number of foreign tourist-related industries.
"People in the industry are getting busy again and doing everything they can to attract foreign tourists and contribute to the revitalization of their local communities," he said.