Inbound Tourism Promotion Plan (2024–2026) Released: Full-Chain Enhancement of Inbound Facilitation
Multiple government departments jointly issued the Inbound Tourism Promotion Plan (2024–2026), setting out tasks to facilitate the entire inbound tourism chain, from visa and customs clearance, international transportation, foreign currency payment, and foreign-language services to departure tax refunds.
The recovery of inbound tourism depends not only on the relaxation of visa policies, but also on whether the experience "after landing" is smooth. In June 2024, multiple departments jointly issued the Inbound Tourism Promotion Plan (2024-2026), a systematic arrangement precisely targeting this entire chain.
Eight Key Tasks
The plan focuses on the key aspects of inbound tourism services and sets out priorities in several areas:
- Visa and Customs Clearance: Optimize visa policies, simplify customs clearance procedures, and implement electronic port visas and electronic entry information filing;
- International Transportation: Improve the international flight network and promote air-rail intermodal transport;
- Foreign Currency Payment: Promote the "binding of foreign cards to domestic systems" and "domestic use of foreign wallets" for mobile payments to facilitate consumption by overseas travelers;
- Reservation and ID Application: Optimize accommodation registration and ticketing systems to facilitate online reservations for overseas personnel;
- International Communication Services: Optimize international internet access services for foreign tourists;
- Foreign Language Services: Enhance multilingual service capabilities;
- Departure tax refund: Optimize the departure tax refund process;
- Talent pool: Strengthen the development of the inbound tourism talent pool.
Create a "One-Click China Travel"
The plan proposes creating digital convenience services for foreign tourists, promotingmobile scanning for transport, mobile scanning for attraction entry, and mobile scanning for accommodationand other such scenarios, so that overseas travelers can use a single smartphone to handle transport, sightseeing, accommodation, and other common needs, reducing the inconvenience caused by differences in language and procedures.
Overseas promotion of the national tourism image
In parallel with facilitation measures, China continues to promote its national tourism image, extending to the world the invitation "Hello! China": in 2024, a tourism promotion event was held in Paris, France, unveiling the national tourism image logo and several premium routes covering themes such as the Silk Road, the ethnic customs of the Southwest, a journey through Yellow River culture, and ice-and-snow tourism, showcasing China's rich and diverse travel offerings to global travelers.
From "accessible" to "easy to travel"
The competitiveness of inbound tourism is ultimately reflected in visitors' firsthand experience. From visas to payments, from internet access to tax refunds, clearing every "bottleneck" one by one is precisely the core logic of this facilitation plan—so that foreign visitors can not only "get in," but also "travel well."