China steps up tourism push as visa-free travel fuels inbound surge

China is accelerating its push to re-establish itself as one of the world’s most important tourism markets, with new figures revealed at ITB China showing a sharp rise in both inbound and outbound travel.

According to data presented during the Sino-European Dialogue in Shanghai, domestic travel across China reached 6.522 billion trips last year, up 16.2 per cent year-on-year. Outbound travel by mainland Chinese residents climbed to 168 million trips, while inbound travel reached 154 million.