Data released by online travel agency Qunar on 10 July show that foreigners booked flights to 160 different Chinese cities in the first half of 2026—up sharply from a year earlier—as China’s unilateral visa-waiver list grew to 50 countries and transit-visa exemptions extended to 65 ports. Inbound bookings to Chongqing jumped 30 percent, while Changsha, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou posted double-digit gains. Yiwu, Zhejiang—home to the world’s largest small-commodities market—saw a 62 percent surge in inbound flight reservations, highlighting how trade-focused travellers are capitalising on the simplified entry rules to source goods directly. Similarly, Kashgar in Xinjiang and Heihe on the Russian border entered the platform’s ranking for the first time, reflecting renewed interest in Belt & Road logistics corridors. European demand is rebounding fastest: arrivals from Milan grew nearly 70 percent and Madrid 50 percent year-on-year, aided by the 15-day visa-free scheme for Spain and Italy introduced last November. European visitors are staying an average of three days—one day longer than the overall foreign-traveller average—suggesting a blend of factory visits and short leisure extensions. For multinational HR teams, the numbers validate relocating short-term project work to lower-cost inland cities without sacrificing connectivity. However, secondary airports often lack English-language ground services and ride-hailing coverage can be patchy; assignees should pre-arrange local transport and carry cash or UnionPay-enabled cards as international credit-card acceptance outside tier-one cities remains limited.
Source: China Daily
