According to reports from Ministry of Culture and Tourism of People’s Republic of China, China inbound tourism trips have reached 139.48 million in 2017, a rise of around 0.8% over last year. The inbound trips by foreign tourists grew by 3.6% year on year. The overall inbound tourists staying overnight in China increased by 2.5% in the whole year.
Foreign exchange revenue was USD123.417 billion in total, with a 2.9% year-on-year growth. Foreign tourists spent about USD 69.547 billion in China, increased by 4.1 % over 2016. China’s inbound tourism as a whole continues to run at a relatively steady speed.

There are several reasons for this: more convenient visa policies, various cultural activities between China and foreign countries and the promotion of the “One Belt One Road” program. Besides, China is a safe country with diverse scenic areas, unique culture, long history and delicious foods which are attracting to tourists.

A Brief Analysis of China’s Inbound Tourists in 2017

Asians still account for the majority. Inbound trips from the countries included in the One Belt and One Road program increased significantly. Majority of visitors are sightseers, making up 37.1%. Business travel comes second, taking up 13.3%. The chart below shows the detailed statistics, based on four categories: Tourist Source, Age, Gender and Purpose.

Tourist Source

Asia – 74.6%

America – 8.2%

Europe – 13.7%

Oceania – 2.1%

Africa – 1.5%

Age

14 and under – 3.1%

15 to 24 – 13.2%

25 to 44 – 49.9%

45 to 64 – 29.2%

65 and over – 4.5%

Gender

Male – 60.7%

Female- 39.3%

Purpose

Business – 13.3%

Tourism/Leisure – 37.1%

Visiting friends or relatives – 2.6%

Working staff – 14.8%

Other – 32.4%

Source: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/tourism/2017statistics/inbound.htm

Discussion
Have you ever been to China? What was the purpose of your trip?

Types of Chinese Visas

Chinese visas are divided into diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, official visa and ordinary visa. There are 16 types of ordinary visas:

C – International train crew members, international aircraft crew members, crew members of ships on international voyages and their accompanying family members and persons engaged in crew, aviation and shipping tasks International road transport car driver.

D – Persons entering the country for permanent residence.

F – Persons entering China for exchanges, visits, study Tours and other activities.

G – Persons transiting through China.

J1 – Resident foreign correspondent (resident for more than 180 days) Resident foreign correspondent for Chinese news organizations.

J2 – A foreign journalist who enters China for a short period of time (stay not more than 180 days).

L – Inbound tourist.

M – Persons entering the country for commercial trade activities.

Q1 – Family members of Chinese citizens applying for residence in China for family reunion (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, siblings, grandparents, maternal grandparents, grandchildren, grandchildren and parents of spouses) and family members of foreigners with permanent residence status in China (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, siblings, grandparents, maternal grandparents and grandchildren) Parents of daughters, grandchildren and spouses), and persons applying for entry and residence for foster care or other reasons.

Q2 – Relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and relatives of foreigners with permanent residence status in China who enter China for a short period of time (no more than 180 days) to visit their relatives.

R – Foreign high-level talents and specialized talents urgently needed by the state are in short supply.

S1 – Spouses, parents, children under the age of 18, parents of foreigners residing in China for work, study and other purposes, and other personal matters. Persons residing in China.

S2 – Family members (spouse, parents, and children) of foreigners who are staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes for a short period of entry (no more than 180 days) Women, children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, grandparents, maternal grandparents, grandchildren, grandchildren and parents of spouses).

X1 – People who have studied in China for a long period of time (more than 180 days).

X2 – People who are studying in China for a short period (not more than 180 days).

Z – People working in China.

Source: https://www.gov.cn/fuwu/2014-02/11/content_2588502.htm