China Tourism Update — 26 July 2026

tourism • 26 July 2026

China’s latest tourist-friendly updates are still being driven by **visa easing, stronger inbound growth and new travel infrastructure**. According to Xinhua and CGTN, China received **22.91 million inbound trips** in the first half of 2026, up **20.4%** year on year, with **17.82 million** of those entries made **visa-free**.[8][11] For Australian travellers, the most useful practical takeaway is that China continues to make entry and movement easier. Xinhua reports that China now offers **unilateral visa-free entry to nationals of 50 countries** and a **240-hour visa-free transit** programme at **65 entry ports**, while officials are also refining visa-free transit and expanding digital border services.[3][11] That means more flexibility for stopovers, multi-city trips and short-notice travel plans. There are also a few destination and transport developments worth noting. ECNS reports that the **first China–Central Asia cultural tourism train** departed on **5 July 2026** from Xi’an on a **16-day Silk Road journey** with **260 passengers**, showing continued growth in themed rail travel for visitors.[5] Xinhua also says China’s new five-year tourism plan targets **190 million inbound tourist visits by 2030**, which suggests more investment in visitor-facing services, routing and tourism product development ahead.[9][11] If you want, I can turn this into a **2–3 paragraph news brief** for publication, or give you the **most useful China travel updates for Australians this week**.

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