Li Mingxiang, a Spanish-speaking tour guide based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is fully booked until November, thanks to a surge in international tourists flocking to the city. "Spanish-speaking tour guides are a rarity in Chengdu, and the demand far outstrips the supply," he told The Beijing News.

Having majored in Spanish in college, Li embarked on a career as a tour guide straight after graduation. Since last March, when China recommenced issuing entry visas, he has witnessed a marked increase in the number of visitors.

"The shortage isn't limited to Spanish-speaking guides; there's a general scarcity of tour guides proficient in foreign languages across travel agencies," he said. His customers are mainly from Spain and countries across South America. He charges a daily rate of around 1,000 yuan ($140), which is above the rate for English-speaking tour guides by 100-200 yuan ($14-28). During the current summer peak season, his monthly earnings have seen a 30-percent increase from the same period last year.

The resurgence 

Since the beginning of 2023, China has been reinstating and introducing a variety of visa exemption policies, including 72 or 144-hour visa-free transit and unilateral visa-free entry for passport holders from many countries, significantly contributing to the steady increase in inbound tourism.

Data from the National Immigration Administration reveals that in the first half of this year, China saw its foreign arrivals soar to 14.64 million. Notably, visa-free entries by foreigners exceeded 8.54 million, accounting for 52 percent of the total inbound trips and constituting a year-on-year growth of 190.1 percent.

"China Travel" has quickly become a trending search term and hashtag on social media, with YouTubers and bloggers eagerly sharing their adventures in China.

"[Application for visa to China] used to be a complicated process, including booking flight tickets in advance, booking hotels and a visa used to cost around 100 euros ($109), now it is super easy and free," Aladin Farré, a French content producer, told Beijing Review.

Presently, citizens from 54 countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, who enter China through specified entry points and possess onward tickets to a third country within 144 hours, are eligible for a 144-hour visa-free stay in designated areas for tourism, business, or family visits. Farré observed that, given China's vast size and its borders with numerous countries, the favorable visa-free policies enable international tourists visiting those neighboring countries to easily include China in their travel plans.

To make the entry process smoother for international visitors, China has introduced several initiatives, including self-service declaration forms and the creation of multilingual volunteer service teams, aimed at enhancing the travel experience right from the start.

Addressing concerns related to the increasingly digital nature of spending in China, payment services are being optimized to facilitate easier transactions for tourists. Foreign bank cards can now be linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay, China's leading payment applications, allowing for seamless purchases from local vendors.

"One of my biggest concerns before arriving China was China moving toward a cashless society," Mark Owens from the United Kingdom told Beijing Review. Prior to arrival, Owens had been concerned about the limited use of credit cards and planning to carry a substantial amount of cash. His plans to travel to China in 2020 with his two children were postponed due to the pandemic, and he eagerly awaited the reopening to tourists, finally visiting over the UK's Easter break this year.

Owens' worries were alleviated by the convenience of Alipay and WeChat Pay. "My biggest fear was these not working when I was in China and not being able to pay for things. That turned out to be unfounded though as I used these apps without any issues throughout our trip after ensuring they were installed and set up before I departed the UK," he said.

Opting for a two-year multi-entry visa over the 144-hour visa-free transit, Owens, who has been creating travel content for his YouTube channel, travelshorts, for over 17 years, felt that 144 hours were insufficient to fully experience China and ended up spending 23 days touring the country.

One thing that impressed him deeply during his trip was China's high-speed rail network. "Train travel is my favorite method of travel," he said. "Taking the train around China allowed us to relax and soak up the wonderful scenery along the way."

Throughout their train journeys, they experienced every class available, including second class, first class, business class, and even an overnight sleeper from Xi'an to Shanghai.

"Anyone who really does any meaningful research about their trip to China should know what to expect when they arrive, as China is not what it was like 20, 10 or even five years ago. It is now probably one of, if not the most, technologically advanced countries on Earth," he said.

Deeper discovery 

For their next trip, Owens is eager to return to Beijing to delve deeper into its history, particularly aiming to explore different sections of the Great Wall, such as Simatai and Jinshanling.

He is also drawn to the mesmerizing night lights of Chongqing, the ice sculptures in Harbin in the northeast province of Heilongjiang, the natural beauty of Sanya's beaches in Hainan Province and Zhangjiajie's breathtaking landscapes in Hunan Province.

"First-time foreign tourists to China often flock to iconic spots like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Terracotta Warriors. Yet, on subsequent visits, they yearn for more profound experiences, preferring tours that offer a deep dive into the local culture and way of life," Chen Qi, the head of the Inbound Tourism Center at China International Travel Service in Sichuan Province, told The Beijing News.

In response to this emerging trend, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism has unveiled 10 premium travel offerings aimed at showcasing the city's unique local attractions. For instance, Putuo District has introduced the "Be a Shanghainese for a Day" route, inviting tourists to step into the homes of local residents, engage with the daily routines of the Shanghainese, and master the art of cooking traditional Shanghai cuisine.

Kathleen Leslie, a graduate student from Southern California on her second visit to China this year, echoed Chen's sentiment. "Young travelers crave distinctive experiences," She told China Economic Weekly. "Translation apps have significantly eased the challenges of cross-cultural communication and learning. I'm convinced that experiential travel will become increasingly influential in shaping the future of the tourism industry." 

(Print Edition Title: China Unveiled) 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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