China, home to the Great Wall – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World – received 68 million international arrivals until August 2026 and generated about 135 billion dollars in visitor spending, according to reports from the tourism sector.
The engine was the expansion of its visa-free entry policy: by the beginning of 2026, China had extended its unilateral visa exemption scheme to 48 countries and mutual exemptions to 29, adding markets such as France, Italy and Australia.
In the first quarter of 2026, foreigners made about 8.32 million income without a visa, which represented almost 78% of all entry crossings of foreigners and an increase of close to 30% compared to the previous year.
The markets that grew the most were Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and India, along with Central Asia and Russian-speaking regions.
The turn is remarkable because for years China was one of the most difficult countries to visit, with long and expensive visa procedures.
The opening responds to a double strategy: reactivate domestic consumption with foreign currencies and project soft power showing the country first hand, at a time when the United States and Europe are tightening their own borders.
According to a report by The China Expert News, the Asian giant chose to open the door to the world’s large emitting markets of tourism without asking for reciprocity, a decision that gives it an advantage over more restrictive destinations. The policy is based on the infrastructure that China has built for two decades: high-speed trains, airports and connected cities that make the journey smooth.