China targets 190 million inbound tourist visits per year by 2030

Beijing (ANTARA) - China is targeting 190 million inbound tourist visits annually by 2030, according to a new five-year tourism development plan. The move marks an expansion of China’s efforts to attract foreign visitors as the country seeks to boost consumption and deepen international exchanges. The plan, approved by China’s State Council, targets annual inbound tourism spending of more than 150 billion US dollars by 2030, and calls for higher quality tourism services and a stronger global presence for China’s tourism industry. To help achieve these targets, China will further streamline services for inbound tourists throughout their stay in the country. The plan calls for expanding visa-free entry programmes and increasing international air and rail connections, while improving convenience in payments, transport, communications, and accommodation, as well as optimising tax refund procedures. Multilingual tourist services are also expected to improve through better training for foreign language tour guides and the wider use of AI-powered translation devices. The plan also envisions establishing a national inbound tourism network focused on international consumption centres and major gateway cities, and aims to develop more shopping clusters tailored to the needs of foreign visitors.