China Tourism Update — 27 October 2026

tourism • 27 October 2026

China’s inbound tourism momentum remains strong, with foreign-national border crossings reaching 23.27 million in the third quarter of 2026—up 15.6 per cent year on year. Visa-free entries rose 24.1 per cent to 8.99 million, accounting for 77.5 per cent of foreign arrivals, China.org.cn reports.[6] For Australian travellers, the key practical point is to check eligibility before booking: China’s unilateral visa-free arrangements cover visitors from 50 countries, generally allowing stays of up to 30 days for tourism and several other purposes. The 240-hour visa-free transit scheme also applies to eligible nationalities and itineraries, but requirements depend on passport, onward ticket, entry port and permitted travel area.[6] China is also improving the visitor experience as arrivals increase. Attractions are introducing multilingual AI tourism assistants, while mobile-payment services are becoming more accessible to international visitors, according to China.org.cn.[6] Travellers should still arrange a suitable payment backup, confirm hotel and transport bookings, and check the latest Chinese visa rules and Australian travel advice before departure.

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