The inbound and outbound tourism enjoyed skyrocketing popularity in the first quarter of this year. With the implementation of various visa free policies, inbound and outbound tourism entered its peak growth season starting from March.

On April 18, data from the National Immigration Administration showed that the total number of inbound and outbound personnel exceeded 141 million, an increase of 117.8% year on year. Among them, 69.541 million were mainland residents, 59.115 million were residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and 13.074 million were foreign nationals, a surge of 114.9%, 100.4%, and 305.2% year on year, respectively.

Inbound tourism in Hunan has continued to decline in recent years, but this year it sees a rapid growth.

According to data from Ctrip, the booking volume of inbound tourism in Hunan during the May Day holiday this year rises by 205% year on year and 18% month on month. The order volume of inbound tourism in the first quarter of 2024 skyrocketed by 352% year on year.

Inbound tourists are mainly from Russia, Thailand, Japan, the United States, Malaysia, France, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.

In addition, according to data from the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Hunan received 406,100 inbound tourists in the first quarter, a year-on-year growth of 14.28 times, and realized a foreign exchange income of 127.5192 million US dollars from inbound tourism, a year-on-year increase of 23.71 times.

Specifically, there were 328,500 foreign tourists and 77,600 tourists from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan among inbound tourists. Among foreign tourists, there were 267,900 Asian tourists, including 116,500 Korean tourists, accounting for 35.5% of the total inbound tourists in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of more than 91 times. Among European and American tourists, the number of American tourists reached 11,000, which is the highest among European and American countries.

Zhangjiajie remains the preferred destination for inbound tourists in Hunan. In the first quarter, Zhangjiajie received 261,200 inbound tourists from 101 countries and regions, a surge of 47.58 times from the same period in 2023 and 44.44% from the same period in 2019.

South Korea remains the main inbound tourist source market for Zhangjiajie. In the first quarter, Zhangjiajie received 105,100 South Korean tourists, accounting for 40.23% of the total number of inbound tourists, with a growth of 367.76 times from the same period in 2023 and 27.07% from the same period in 2019.

According to a tour guide of Zhangjiajie Baili Travel Agency, starting from March, each tour guide received 4 to 5 foreign tourist teams per month on average. Tours of five and six days are the most popular.

The enthusiasm of citizens for travel has also resulted in the increasing number of visa applicants. According to visa data from Ctrip, the number of tourists applying for outbound travel visas for the May Day holiday has increased significantly since late February. After the Spring Festival, the number of visa applicants rose more than three times compared to the previous week and steadily increased at a weekly growth rate of 50%.

The number of visa applicants for the May Day holiday increases by over 30% year on year, and the transaction volume of visa application exceeds that of the same period in 2019.

“Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Indonesia, Australia, France and Vietnam are popular tourist destinations for Chinese people. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other countries along the ‘Belt and Road’ have seen higher growth in orders,” said a staff member of Ctrip.

The sales volume of visa services in 2023 showed a tenfold increase compared to 2022, recovering to nearly 80% of that in 2019. Since the beginning of this year, the number of visa applicants has increased more than three times compared to last year. In spite of a visa exemption policy for visitors from Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, the visa business still resumed to 90% of pre pandemic levels during the Qingming Festival holiday. It’s expected that the May Day holiday will witness a boom in outbound tourism.

“I have gotten a visa and will go to Turkey during the May Day holiday,” said a citizen, adding that now it is also very convenient to apply for a visa, and there are visa processing services on online tourism platforms. It can be completed in a few working days from placing an order and submitting materials to getting a visa.

According to the China Tourism Academy, the number of tourists in China is expected to reach about 4.55 billion this year, a year-on-year increase of about 80%, with the domestic tourism revenue of about 4 trillion yuan, up about 95% year on year. The number of inbound and outbound tourists for the whole year is expected to exceed 90 million, doubling year on year.

China will see booming inbound and outbound tourism during the upcoming May Day holiday.

责编：王柯沣

一审：王柯沣

二审：唐煜斯

三审：秦慧英

来源：文旅湖南