Not the Great Wall: China's New Emerging Tourist Destination
China has become a primary destination for foreign investors and entrepreneurs seeking to observe the technological and manufacturing developments within the country directly. This phenomenon is emerging alongside China’s rapid progress in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), humanoid robots, electric vehicles, batteries, and high-tech manufacturing.
Some participants are willing to pay up to US$15,000 (approximately Rp264 million) to participate in five-day technology tours. A number of foreign investors and executives are joining specialised tours to Chinese factories to study technologies and production processes directly. These tours cover several industrial hubs, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Hefui.
Robert Wu, CEO of the Shanghai-based data research firm Baiguan, stated that this interest indicates a shift in how the world perceives China. “Currently, people view China as an object of study and learning, a trend that was almost non-existent a few years ago,” Wu said, as quoted by Reuters.
Wu himself has organised two tours attended by more than 20 investors, entrepreneurs, and executives. The cost reaches US$15,000 for a five-day programme, with approximately half of the participants originating from Southeast Asia.
This trend is also driving the emergence of specialised businesses that offer direct access to China’s innovation ecosystem. Glopen, a Shanghai-based technology tour agency, noted that enquiries from prospective participants surged by 50% in 2026, particularly from clients in Europe and Singapore. The company now conducts over 100 corporate tours every month.
Bertrand Chen, CEO of the Global Shipping Business Network, who participated in a robotics technology tour in China last April, remarked that these developments are difficult to grasp from the outside alone. “You cannot understand the scale, speed, and tangible reality of China’s innovation without standing on the factory floor,” he said.
The Chinese government is also encouraging industrial tourism by designating more than 140 official demonstration sites. Several factories have also opened to public visits with fees of around US$60.
For instance, Xiaomi’s electric vehicle factory in Beijing has received over 250,000 visitors since March 2024. The high demand has even led to visit slots, obtained through a lottery system, being traded online for up to 2,000 yuan (approximately Rp5.3 million).
Although data regarding technology tourism remains limited, the industrial tourism sector as a whole is expanding rapidly. According to state media, China’s industrial tourism sector recorded revenues of US$17.8 billion last year and is projected to exceed 300 billion yuan (US$44.6 billion) by 2029.