Kunming sees surge in inbound tourism after visa-free policies

Kunming in Yunnan province has experienced a surge in inbound tourism this year, reflecting the broader trend of booming inbound tourism in China driven by the recent implementation of visa-free policies.

According to Wang Mingyao, deputy director of the Kunming Culture and Tourism Bureau, trips made by foreign travelers to Kunming reached 446,600 in the first half of this year, marking an impressive year-on-year increase of 358.83 percent.

A report released by Trip.com Group in June, titled "2024 Summer Tourism Market Forecast", highlighted Kunming as one of the top 10 popular domestic cities for inbound tourism.

Since the beginning of this year, China has expanded its visa-free policies, relaxed visa application requirements, simplified procedures, exempted border checks for qualifying transit passengers, and made mobile payment services more convenient for foreigners.

The country's 144-hour visa-free transit policy was expanded to 37 ports in July. Yunnan has nine such ports, including those in Kunming, Lijiang and Dali.

"Tourists from Southeastern countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have flooded to Kunming in large numbers to enjoy the city's year-round floral displays," Wang said on Wednesday.

The China-Laos Railway has also enhanced cross-border tourism in Kunming. The railway, connecting Kunming and Vientiane with a travel time of just 10 hours, provides a fundamental guarantee for the convenience of inbound and outbound tourism in Kunming.

"We have established ties with Thailand and Laos, fostering good cooperation and communication between foreign and local travel agencies to facilitate the seamless transfer of tourists. And we have been exploring ways to bring Chinese tourists to Laos and Thailand while also attracting tourists from these regions to Kunming," Wang explained on Wednesday.

Wang also noted an increase in tourists from Europe and North America thanks to the visa-free policies. "Many overseas travel vloggers have turned their attention to our city, and they are amazed at what Kunming has to offer," she added.

According to Wang, to attract more foreign tourists, Kunming is designing more tourism products that cater to their preferences for nature and cultural experiences, like cycling routes around Dianchi Lake and nature hiking trails in northern Kunming.

"Kunming is committed to promoting high-quality tourism development and accelerating its transformation into a world-renowned leisure and tourism destination," Wang said.